France: Mosques desecrated

France: Mosques desecrated


A complaint was lodged yesterday after the discovery of Islamophobic graffiti last night on the walls of a mosque in the Crépy-en-Valois suburb of Paris (Oise), the police announced today.

The cultural and religious Muslim association of Crépy-en-Valois, the owners of the place, lodged the complaint against unknowns, according to the same source, confirming a report in the local of edition of Le Parisien.

On Saturday night local residents discovered graffiti spray painted "Islam out of Europe", "Islam out" on the walls of the hall and enclosure, together with the blue-white-red flag and a Celtic cross.  An inscription "France to the French" was discovered on a wall in a nearby street where the worshipers usually park.

The mayor denounced this 'idiotic, heinous act' which contrasts with the 'peaceful atmosphere which reigns in Crépy-en-Valois between the different communities".  The removal of the graffiti was underway this morning.  The association, which has been around for 15 years, and which bought the premises several years ago "never posed any problem," according to the same source.


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Officials of the main mosque of the southern town of Béziers (Hérault), the Errahma mosque, said Tuesday [two weeks ago] that they've filed a complaint after discovering a swastika painted on the wall of the building.  "I've discovered this swastika late afternoon Sunday, and we've decided to keep it to ourselves, but yesterday [Monday] the president of the mosque decided that he would lodge a complaint," the secretary general of the cultural association of French Muslims in Béziers, Mehdi Roland, explained to an AFP correspondent.  The swastika, painted on the wall of the building, measured two meters square.  The mosque regularly suffers broken windows and two years ago had swastikas painted on its walls, accompanied by graffiti insulting Islam, the official said.  But it is the first time that the association is lodging a complaint, he added.


Sources: Le Figaro, TF1 (French)

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