France: Mosque defaced

France: Mosque defaced

Islamophobic slogans, swastikas and Celtic crosses were discovered Sunday morning by Muslims coming to pray at the Maubeuge mosque, by the Belgian border.

The Muslims leaving the mosque after midday prayers - the new religious and cultural center of Maubeuge is still under construction - expressed diverse feelings: Surprise, sadness, feelings of rejection or simply resigned fatalism, but all were desolate.

The inscriptions included swastikas and inscriptions, including one saying "Islam out of Europe".

Ahmed Falghab, vice president of the Association of Moroccan  workers and merchants in  Sambre Valley (ATCM), said that they are shocked as this is the first time it's happened.  Until now things were good.  This isn't normal.  He added that he's sure this was not committed by people from Maubeuge and that they might have come from Belgium or elsewhere.  There was never any racism here. 

According to Abdel Tadoumant, a local trader, the elderly are concerned: We, the youth, are not afraid, but the older people are afraid that it will be worse.  That there will be more damage.  This is their mosque, they are the ones who paid for building it.  Even if you know it's a minority who act this way.

The leaders of ATCM lodged a complaint by the police, and they also expect the police to patrol more often in the area of the mosque.  Ahmed Falghab says that from now on they'll do guard duty.  

Source: La Voix du Nord (French)

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