Suspected Arson Attacks Shake Muslim Community in Northern Japan

Suspected Arson Attacks Shake Muslim Community in Northern Japan
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Members of the Muslim community in northern Japan say they are living in fear after a series of suspected arson attacks damaged a mosque and several Pakistani-owned businesses in the city of Ebetsu.

Three fires reported over just two weeks targeted properties linked to Muslim residents, including the Ebetsu Masjid. The incidents followed months of online accusations falsely blaming Muslim residents for illegal construction in the neighborhood, which some locals refer to as “Pakistani town.”

The first fire broke out around 3 a.m. on February 15 at a vehicle repair business owned by a Pakistani resident, destroying a two-storey prefabricated building. A man sleeping inside suffered a broken leg after jumping from a window to escape the flames.

Another blaze severely damaged the mosque building and an adjoining structure. The mosque, which serves roughly 700 Muslims in the city, had typically been left unlocked to allow worshippers to pray at any time. A third fire the following day left scorch marks on the exterior of another nearby Pakistani-owned business.

Police in Ebetsu are investigating the incidents but have not yet confirmed their causes.

City officials previously clarified that most of the allegedly illegal structures cited in online accusations were built by Japanese residents rather than foreigners. Despite this, anti-immigrant rhetoric on social media has intensified, with some posts calling for deportation of Muslim residents.

Community leaders say the attacks have deeply unsettled local families, while Muslim groups elsewhere in Japan are closely monitoring the situation and urging calm.