Gardaí are investigating an arson attack on the Islamic Cultural Centre in Co Limerick in the early hours of the morning.
The centre, which is located in Dooradoyle, serves the Muslim community in Limerick.
Emergency services attended the scene at around 1.30am and it took three units of Limerick Fire Service over half an hour to bring the blaze under control.
Gardaí have confirmed they received a report of an incident of "criminal damage by fire that occurred at a premises in the Dooradoyle area".
The fire is believed to have started in a bathroom of the mosque and Islamic cultural centre.
It is understood a male approached the mosque and threw a petrol bomb through a window of the place of worship.
A member of the community was at the mosque and raised the alarm.
Nobody was injured in the incident.
Fianna Fáil councillor Abul Kalam Azad Talukder, the first Muslim local representative in Limerick, has condemned the arson attack saying it has left the community feeling insecure.
"Dooradoyle is a longstanding peaceful area, incidents like this are rarely heard of," he said.
"That's what makes this so shocking and devastating for both the Muslim community and Limerick as a whole.
"We don't know whether this was a case of organised crime or racial hate, but this kind of behavior is very uncommon in Limerick.
"I know from experience that the majority of people in Limerick do not stand by these actions."
Additional reporting Barry Gallagher
