By A.S.
In Sweden, a 12th century Spånga church located on the border between Stockholm´s suburbs Rinkeby and Tensta, both known as areas with high density of migrant population, was recently attacked twice with Molotov cocktails. Both attacks took place this January.
We already reported about the first attack when strangers threw three Molotov cocktails in the old church, one was thrown at the gate, the other two through the windows. Luckily, the attackers did not succeed in setting the church on fire. The crime was classified as arson.
But only several days after the church was hit again by unknown assailants. The second fire attack triggered the alarm when a window was smashed and the flammable liquid was thrown again in one of the windows, and at the front door. The police came to the scene and were able to put the fire out with a powder extinguisher.
As Muslim migrations are on the rise in Sweden, attacks against churches are becoming a regular occurrence. Last year many churches were subjected to various attacks and vandalism, including those in Gottsunda, Uppsala, and Rosengård, Malmö.
The Spånga church is one of the oldest churches in Stockholm. Pastor Jerker Alsterlund of the church stated the following regarding recent attacks:
“It is a strong symbolic act against the church. I do not know why anyone would want to do this. The idea may be to arouse disgust or to provoke.”