On Monday, the police launched a pre-trial investigation for incitement against any group of people and obstruction of religious ceremonies after a pig’s head was displayed near the Kaunas mosque last week.
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According to the Kaunas County Police, the decision was made after reviewing and evaluating the recorded footage and examining the received reports.
15min reminds that last Friday in Kaunas Peace Park, during Muslim prayers, a gathering of bikers loudly played music, made noise with motorcycles, chanted patriotic slogans, and displayed a brought pig’s head. Although the bikers interviewed on site stated that they did not intend to send any specific message with their gathering.
As reported by the portal kaunas.kasvyksta.lt, after the prayers ended, in response to the bikers’ shouts, the Muslims gathered for the prayers began chanting “Allahu akbar.” Despite this, both communities dispersed peacefully.
Sinica: all non-violent measures are permissible
One of the first to defend the bikers was the chairman of the National Union, Member of Parliament Vytautas Sinica.
He stated that lawful and non-violent measures are permissible and called Islam an “aggressive religion.”
Islam is an aggressive religion and either we as a nation will show that we do not welcome its growth in the country and it will not be hospitable here, or it will grow and be, and then dominate.
“All lawful and non-violent measures to show the nation what it does not want and will not tolerate are permissible. Is it ugly to act this way? Ugly. Does it have to be beautiful? It does not have to be.
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Islam is an aggressive religion and either we as a nation will show that we do not welcome its growth in the country and it will not be hospitable here, or it will grow and be, and then dominate. It will not be otherwise anywhere,” wrote V. Sinica.
He claimed he does not want actions like those at the mosque but said that to prevent them, the government must stop migration. The politician also recalled the mosque’s own history, saying it was “practically seized.”
“If people do not want immigration, and it still happens, people resist as they can. The more adequate the policy, the less there will be a need for dissatisfaction to be expressed in other ways. Today, the Kaunas mosque is practically seized, and the loud prayers taking place around it (not inside) disturb the surroundings,” said V. Sinica, adding that harmony, order, and security could be guaranteed by reducing the number of Muslim immigrants in the country.
V. Čmilytė-Nielsen: marginal
More political party leaders and other politicians also commented on the incident – Speaker of the Seimas Juozas Olekas, Minister of National Defence Robertas Kaunas, MEPs Dainius Žalimas, Aurelijus Veryga, and Virginijus Sinkevičius, parliamentarians Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Laurynas Šedvydis, and others.
Politicians divided into three camps: those condemning the bikers’ action, those defending it, and those seeking a “middle way,” who say it is necessary to respect both freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
“A pig’s head at the mosque is marginal. And it has nothing to do with the irritation of local people. It is a deliberate humiliation of another religion and an escalation of conflict,” wrote V. Čmilytė-Nielsen.
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