Lisbon was recently the site of an attack at the city’s Ismaili Centre, leaving two women dead from stab wounds and a third person injured.
The assailant was confronted by law enforcement and shot, whereupon he was taken to hospital. He is now in police custody.
The Lisbon center was acquired by the Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims, in 2020, although the pertinent agreement with Portuguese authorities goes back to 2015, and is of particular importance to this religious community, acting as headquarters for outreach and other activities.
The murderer is reportedly of Afghan origin, which suggests that the attack might have been religiously motivated, given that Ismailis, a branch of Shia Islam, are considered heretical by certain extremist Wahabi elements.
The attack would then be part of an unfortunate pattern of persecution against religious minorities.
