Elham Asaad Buaras
France’s Minister of Interior has condemned an arson attack on a mosque in northwest France. Fortunately, there were no casualties in the attack that took place during Fajr prayers on January 13.
The culprit, wearing a baseball hat, was caught on CCTV pouring flammable liquid on the doors of Saint Martin des Champs Mosque at 7:30 a.m. before setting them on fire. Minister of Interior Gérald Darmanin expressed support for local Muslims.
“Support for Muslims in Finistere following the damage to the Morlaix mosque this morning. An investigation has been opened so that the perpetrator of these acts can be prosecuted,” he said on X, formerly Twitter.
The French Council of Muslim Worship (CFCM) dubbed the incident “a terrorist attack” as the “premeditated attack came at a specific time of prayer.”
The CFCM also expressed “its full solidarity” with the “extremely shocked and traumatised” worshippers.“The rapid intervention of the firefighters has made it possible to avoid a real carnage among the faithful,” adds the body, which is calling for the anti-terrorist prosecutor’s office to take over the investigation.
Maël de Calan, President of the French department in western Brittany, also condemned arson attack, “I strongly condemn this criminal act, as I do every time a church is desecrated, a synagogue attacked. In France, everyone must be able to practise their religion in peace.” Meryeme Postic, President of the Morlaix Mosque, describes the incident as an attack on “the physical integrity of citizens according to their religious affiliation.”
Muslim communities around the country have been subjected to a variety of anti-Muslim attacks, including offensive social media comments and as well as acts of vandalism on mosques, cemeteries, and Muslim-owned businesses. One of the most recent incidents occurred in November 2023, when Islamophobic graffiti was sprayed on the Pessac Mosque in Girone. The anti-Muslim tags contained threats like “France for the French,” and “Your coffins or your suitcases.”
The perpetrators also painted the Crosses of Lorraine, symbolizing the French resistance to the Nazi occupation in the 40s. The symbol is commonly used by some sympathizers of far-right causes in France, who peddle the Islamophobic arguments that Muslims are “invading France.”
A little less than ten years ago, the same mosque was subject to another Islamophobic incident when raw sausages were hung on the building’s grills.
