Geneva, May 5 (IANS): Thirteen graves thought to belong to deceased Muslims were damaged in acts of vandalism over the weekend in the Swiss city of Lausanne, police said on Monday.
The damaged headstones in the Bois-de-Vaux cemetery bore the names of people thought to be Muslim based on their names appearing to be of Arab or North African origin, Efe news agency reported.
However, none of the sites had specific symbols distinguishing the buried as Muslims, although each grave was oriented toward Mecca, as required by Islamic law.
Police confirmed on Monday that investigations were launched and that preliminary reports indicated that the vandals were intentionally targeting Muslim graves.