Muslim graves raid slammed
Athens condemned on Saturday an overnight attack by vandals at a Muslim cemetery in Komotini, northeastern Greece, that caused damage to almost a dozen gravestones. The incident led to a small protest by members of the local Muslim community, which has for decades been a bone of contention between Greece and Turkey. «There are groups on the fringes of society that sow hate and division,» said government spokesman Giorgos Petalotis. «They are afraid of diversity and are guided by conspiracy theories. «Their actions are absolutely condemnable and against our national interests. They are the last vestiges of a past that Greece has left behind.» Police sources said about 10 gravestones were smashed in the raid, which came just 24 hours after firebombs were thrown at police guarding the Turkish Consulate in Thessaloniki. Authorities have not linked the two events.
