A group of bikers gathered outside the mosque in Ramybės Park around noon Friday while Muslim prayers were underway. The bikers played loud music, revved their motorcycles, chanted nationalistic slogans and displayed a pig’s head they had brought with them.

Mufti Aleksandras Beganskas told LRT RADIO on Monday that he wants to meet with government representatives to discuss what security measures should be introduced following Friday’s incident.

One possible measure would be fencing off the mosque in Kaunas’ Ramybės Park, Beganskas said, to prevent similar incidents in the future.

He also called for legislation aimed at preventing people from inciting hatred on the basis of race, nationality or religion.

“This needs to be done as soon as possible, […] today it is just a rally, tomorrow it will be fights, and then killings,” Beganskas said.

The mufti praised members of the Muslim community for remaining calm during Friday’s confrontation and not responding to provocations.

“I have always told members of my community, Muslims, to maintain peace and not give in to provocations, which is what we saw Friday,” Beganskas said. “No one gave in to those provocations. Everyone peacefully performed their prayers and went home or to work.”

Beganskas said the Muslim community was already doing its part to maintain peaceful relations and that the government should now take responsibility for protecting Muslims living in Lithuania.

“Together, we all have to understand that the Muslim community is part of Lithuania. Islam is part of Lithuania. And Muslims are part of Lithuania,” he said.

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The mufti also called for an internal investigation into the conduct of police officers who responded to the incident.

“I think an internal investigation should be launched by the police into whether those officers fulfilled their duty to ensure public safety,” Beganskas said. He added that some Muslim women felt uncomfortable and unsafe when a man shouted and cursed at them during prayers.

Odeta Vaitkevičienė, a spokeswoman for the Kaunas County Police, told BNS that authorities had opened administrative proceedings over alleged violations of requirements governing the organization of assemblies and other events.

Police have also begun investigating the circumstances under a Criminal Code provision concerning incitement of hatred against a group of people.

Source: lrt.lt