Arson Attack on Spanish Mosque Prompts Police Investigation in San Javier

Francisca Chuecos, who lives upstairs from the mosque, alerted the emergency services and neighbors around 4 a.m., after being shaken by an explosion and seeing flames and smoke in the mosque. She feared the fire would engulf the entire building and that the premises would have to be evacuated.

The local police officers patrolling the area were on the scene a few minutes later and managed to put out the fire with fire extinguishers before the firefighters arrived. The latter made sure there was no fire inside the mosque that could cause further damage before leaving.

Francisca, who has lived in this multicultural neighborhood of San Javier for 25 years, is surprised by this racist-tinged attack. "The neighborhood has always been very calm and peaceful. The people who frequent the mosque do not cause any problems and the non-Muslim neighbors are respectful towards them," she explains.

"There have never been any problems either with the Spaniards or between the Muslims. We all respect each other," declares Mohamed Mehdi, another resident of the neighborhood for more than a decade. For Brahim Roubi, the mosque’s imam, concern has reigned since this incident. But "we must continue to live in tolerance and respect," he assures, because "we feel accepted in San Javier; they give us public spaces for our celebrations and we have always felt the hospitality in this place."