Masked men attacked a mosque in Massachusetts Wednesday that left several windows broken, an official and a community leader said.
\nThe attack on the Ahiska Turkish American Cultural Center and Mosque in the city of West Springfield took place at 8.15 p.m. local time (0015GMT) when five unidentified masked men began hurling stones, Yasar Colak, religious affairs counselor at Turkey’s Embassy in Washington, said.
\n“We are investigating whether the attack was motivated by Islamophobia,” Colak told Anadolu Agency. “It is early to make a comment on this at this moment, but if we come to such a conclusion, we will take the necessary steps,” he added.
\nMehdi Osmanli, president of the mosque, said that there were three people inside at the time of incident and none of them got hurt.
\nHe said that police came to the scene approximately one hour after the attack and launched an investigation.
\nThe attack took place at a time when a rising wave of Islamophobia has led to an increase in threats against Muslims in the U.S.
\nThe mosque, which was built by Turkey\u2019s Presidency of Religious Affairs and the Council of Ahiska Turkish-American Associations, opened in March.
\nAhiska Turks, also known as Meskhetian Turks, were expelled in 1944 from their homeland \u2013 the Meskheti region in Georgia \u2013 by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, in attempt to deport Turks from the shores of the Black Sea.<\/p>\n
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