Elham Asaad Buaras
A former Muslim place of worship in L’Hôpital, near Saint-Avold in the Moselle region of northeastern France, was found desecrated on May 27, in what is being treated as a suspected hate crime.
The incident has prompted widespread condemnation and renewed concerns over the surge in Islamophobic acts across the country.
The building, previously managed by the Muslim association Les Amis du Peuple Méditerranéen, has not functioned as a mosque since 2021, when it was closed due to safety regulation issues, but it remains under the association’s ownership.
According to local media, the attackers ransacked the site—tearing apart prayer rugs, overturning furniture, and desecrating copies of the Qur’an. Swastika symbols were graffitied on the walls. Gas bottles, tyres, and jerrycans filled with petrol were also discovered, indicating an apparent attempt to commit arson. Leaders of the association had not visited the premises for three weeks prior to the discovery, making it difficult to determine the exact timing of the attack.
Police forensic teams have conducted investigations, and a formal complaint has been filed.
“This vile racist act strikes at the heart of our social cohesion,” said Tristan Atmania, a municipal councillor. Mayor Emmanuel Schuler also condemned the vandalism, calling it “unacceptable and intolerable”.
The desecration has sparked outrage on social media and within the wider French Muslim community. It follows a spate of Islamophobic incidents in recent months that have heightened fears about the safety of Muslim places of worship in France.
Just a month earlier, on April 26, 22-year-old Malian national Aboubakar Ciss was fatally stabbed inside the Khadija Mosque in La Grand-Combe (Gard).
The attacker, whose motives remain under investigation, was arrested at the scene. The murder shocked the local Muslim community and was condemned by public officials and civil society groups.
In January, a mosque in Cherbourg was vandalised with graffiti, including pig heads, in what was the second targeted incident in the region within a week. The week prior, a plaster grenade was discovered outside a mosque in Saint-Omer. Both attacks were condemned by local authorities and are under investigation.
In October 2024, the Assounna mosque in Amiens was targeted in a suspected arson attack. Worshippers arriving for dawn prayers were alerted by the smell of smoke. Matches and firelighters were discovered at the scene, indicating that the fire had likely been set intentionally. The Governor of Somme denounced the act and stressed the importance of reinforcing security around places of worship.
These incidents have occurred against a backdrop of rising anti-Muslim sentiment in France. According to the Collective Against Islamophobia in Europe, Islamophobic acts in the country surged by 57% in 2023. The National Consultative Commission on Human Rights recorded a 52% increase in violence targeting Muslims, with 75% of incidents involving threats or verbal abuse.
As police continue to investigate the vandalism in L’Hôpital, the attack joins a disturbing trend of targeted violence and intimidation directed at France’s Muslim population.
