Muslim family racially attacked in eastern Germany

BERLIN

A Muslim family was attacked by seven men in the East German town of Merseburg, public broadcaster MDR reported on Monday.

The attack took place Saturday evening as the Muslim family was walking on the street pushing a stroller. The suspects, aged between 19 and 33 years, first racially insulted the family and then physically attacked them.

According to police, passers-by got involved and used irritants against the attackers, injuring four of them.

​​​​​​​The family did not require any medical treatment following the assault.

Police launched a criminal investigation as the seven attackers are known to them by name.

German authorities registered at least 662 Islamophobic crimes in 2021.

There were more than 46 attacks on mosques and at least 17 people were injured because of anti-Muslim violence.

Germany has the second-largest Muslim population in Western Europe after France with more than 84 million inhabitants.

Among the country’s nearly 5.5 million Muslims, 3 million are of Turkish origin.