Germany weighs heightened security for mosques

By Ayhan Simsek </p> <p>BERLIN (AA) – German government is weighing heightened security for mosques after New Zealand attacks, interior minister said on Monday. </p> <p>“Religious sites can also become targets for terrorists. If there is any hint of danger, we will strengthen their protection,” Horst Seehofer said in an interview with Bild daily. </p> <p>He said local authorities were in contact with religious communities for the protection of their places of worship. </p> <p>“For the federal government, freedom of worship is a key concern,” he stressed. </p> <p>“It is important to act decisively and use the full rigour of the law against Islamophobic crimes and attacks against mosques,” he added. </p> <p>Germany, a country of over 81 million people, has the second-largest Muslim population in Western Europe after France. Among the country’s nearly 4.7 million Muslims, 3 million are of Turkish origin.