GERMANY/THE NETHERLANDS: The German president has called for people in Germany to show each other "respect and tolerance" as religious tensions continued in the neighbouring Netherlands.
In a speech to mark the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, Mr Horst Köhler told Germany's large Muslim community: "My wish is that people in our country meet each other with respect and tolerance, and that no group is excluded from society or excludes itself."
He added: "We all need time to reflect and to re-orientate ourselves. I hope you have been able to use the time of fasting for this."
Since this month's murder of outspoken Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh and the subsequent arrest of a Muslim suspect, the Netherlands has seen an outbreak of violence against religious targets, with at least 20 arson attacks on mosques and churches.
A small mosque was destroyed by fire in the Netherlands on Saturday but no one was hurt in what police suspect may have been the latest in a spate of arson attacks against religious targets.
"We are seriously taking into account the possibility it was arson. We can only be sure after the investigation is complete," a police spokeswoman said of the blaze near the German border.
The Dutch Prime Minister, Mr Jan Peter Balkenende, visited a mosque yesterday and urged dialogue among different communities in the Netherlands.
Speaking to about 200 people during the Eid al-Fitr festival marking the end of Ramadan, Mr Balkenende urged Dutch people to unite "regardless of belief, background or their history".
He was given a bunch of tulips from the Turkish community in the Netherlands, part of a large Muslim minority which makes up 6 per cent of the Dutch population.
"The tulip is originally a Turkish flower, but is also a symbol of the Netherlands," a representative of the Turkish community said.