Tearing apart of a Koran by a police officer

Alert DateMay 20, 2009 Country: Greece Address: Aghios Panteleimonas, Athens General Type: Racist violence Racism and discrimination phenomena: Islamophobia
Groups affected / Interested in: Migrants, Muslims Key socio-economic/institutional areas: Policing - law enforcement

Related Case Studies

Victims Data
Victims Nationality/Ethnic Origin N/A
Victims Gender Male
Victims Age N/A
Victims Number 1
Fatalities - deaths N/A
Perpetrators Data
Perpetrators Nationality/Ethnic Origin Greek
Perpetrator Gender Male
Perpetrator Age N/A
Perpetrators Number 1
Extremist/Organised Group Violence No

The mutilation of the Koran by a police officer in a ‘ghetto-area’ in Athens – caused tensions and protests, as well as arson attack to an informal mosque. On 20.05.2009, during a police check in a cafe in central Athens, an officer took a customer's Koran, ripped it apart, threw it on the ground and stomped on it. Hundreds of immigrants protested following the incident, some of whom smashing shop windows and destroying parked cars in the streets near the central Omonia Square. This is the first time an Islamophobic incident of this kind is reported and the first intense and in some cases violent protest by Muslim migrants in Greece.

The incident and the reactions were highlighted by the media and fed a public discussion about cultural conflict and incompatibility of Islam and Muslim migrants with the Greek culture.This contributed to an already widespread intolerance and xenophobia around a presumably overburdening high numbers of Muslim migrants, and provided an additional argument in favour of the reactions and of the presumed consequent need to remove them violently from the Athens areas they reside in.

In the occasion of the ‘Koran incident’ march, Muslim migrants protested against increasing police brutality and against the fact that Athens is still the only European capital without a mosque.

Source:

Eleftherotipia, 22.05.2009, http://www.enet.gr/?i=news.el.article&id=47004

Kathimerini, 26.05.2009, http://news.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_columns_2_26/05/2009_316054

CityPress, Christopoulos S.,Συλλαλητήριο μουσουλμάνων στην Αθήνα, 29.05.2009, http://www.citypress.gr/index.html?action=article&article=67033

Kathimerini, Souliotis J.,Η πρώτη ανοιχτή σύγκρουση ΕΛ.ΑΣ. – μεταναστών, 24.05.2009, http://news.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_ell_2_24/05/2009_315919

CityPress, Christopoulos S.,Ένταση με μετανάστες στο κέντρο, 22.05.2009, http://www.citypress.gr/index.html?action=article&article=66832

CityPress, Chrysikopoulos D.,Εκρηκτικό σκηνικό στο κέντρο της Αθήνας, 25.05.2009, http://www.citypress.gr/index.html?action=article&article=66872

 

CityPress, Christopoulos S.,Άναψε φωτιές το Κοράνι, 25.05.2009, http://www.citypress.gr/index.html?action=article&article=66868

CityPress, Chrysikopoulos D.,Εκρηκτικό σκηνικό στο κέντρο της Αθήνας, 25.05.2009, http://www.citypress.gr/index.html?action=article&article=66872

 

CityPress, Kirtsos G.,Ανάπλαση ιστορικού κέντρου και απομάκρυνση λαθρομεταναστών, 12.05.2009, http://www.citypress.gr/index.html?action=article&article=66501

CityPress, Chrysikopoulos D.,Γιάννης Σγουρός, Νομάρχης Αθηνών: Φοβάμαι ότι τα χειρότερα έρχονται, 20.05.2009, http://www.citypress.gr/index.html?action=article&article=66768