A copy of the Muslim holy book, the Quran was burned and thrown in front of a mosque in southwestern Germany, the Turkish-Muslim umbrella group Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DITIB) has said.
The incident happened in front of the Mimar Sinan Mosque in the town of Maulbronn, located in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg, from a moving vehicle.
Osman Adibelli, director of the mosque association, said the incident took place on the night of Saturday, July 8.
"After the incident, when we reviewed surveillance footage of our mosque, we saw that an object was thrown in front of the mosque from a vehicle on the main street,'' he said in a statement on Monday.
Complaint filed
''Our congregation members who came for morning prayers noticed a burned Quran at the entrance of the mosque," he added.
Adibelli said they have filed a criminal complaint over the incident. "Due to the reflection of the headlights of the vehicle approaching the front of the mosque we do not know the license plate number or how many individuals were involved in the attack."
Expressing great sorrow and concern over the attack, Adibelli announced that an investigation has been launched.
The incident comes in the wake of multiple burnings or desecrations of Quran copies in various European countries, including a recent high-profile Quran burning in front of a mosque in Sweden, allowed by the police and drawing international outrage.
Muslim leaders and politicians have stressed that such desecrations and provocations are not covered by freedom of expression laws.
Clear provocation
The UN Human Rights Council is set to debate a draft proposal on religious hatred in the wake of the incident in Sweden.
The draft resolution which will be presented to the council in Geneva on Tuesday, is being opposed by some Western representatives.
The draft resolution presented by Pakistan on behalf of the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the group described the burning of the Quran in Stockholm last month as "offensive, disrespectful and a clear act of provocation" that incites hatred and constitutes a human rights violation.
The draft - which condemned "recurring acts of public burning of the Holy Quran in some European and other countries" - has stoked opposition from Western diplomats who argue it aims to safeguard religious symbols rather than human rights.
