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Rabat – Spanish police arrested a 55-year-old man last week after he spray-painted Islamophobic messages on a mosque in Bilbao.
Europa Press reported on Monday that the arrest took place on Saturday after the incident that took place around 9:30 a.m.
The Basque police in Ertzaintza identified a man in the vicinity who was still carrying spray paint cans, which led to his arrest.
Security services took the suspect into custody for an investigation into his involvement on suspicion of a hate crime.
Islamophobic acts against Muslims have been escalating in Europe, with NGOs and human rights activists warning authorities that a defined law should be introduced to tackle similar crimes.
Data shared by VoxEurop in March this year says that roughly 50% of Muslims face discrimination on a daily basis; the number is double the rate of the general population.
The data particularly cites findings by a report from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, which shows that prejudice escalated into structural exclusion.
One recent incident documents the scourge of Islamophobia in Europe. On Monday, the UK arrested 12 people who allegedly sought to target an Islamic gathering in a disturbing new Islamophobic plot.
UK Police said the arrests on Sunday and Monday targeted suspects allegedly preparing an “extreme right-wing” terrorist attack.
The detainees are aged between 27 and 82, including one woman.
A recent study by British Future examined public attitudes toward Muslims in the UK, showing that more than 56% of Muslims experienced “prejudice based on their religion” over the past year.
