Five years ago today, the mosque in Bayonne (Pyrénées-Atlantiques, south-west France) was the target of a far-right attack: after attempting to set fire to the mosque door, the assailant shot and wounded two men before being arrested.
After this tragedy, attacks on mosques multiplied:
- on March 30, 2023, a worshipper was attacked with a knife as the Echirolles mosque (Isère, south-east France) opened for morning prayer
- December 3, 2023, a man throws a Molotov cocktail at the mosque in La-Roche-sur-Yon (Vendée, western France).
- on January 13, 2024, a man set fire to the Morlaix mosque (Brittany, western France) during morning prayers while worshippers were inside
- on May 4, 2024, nine vehicles were set on fire in the parking lot of the Cherbourg-en-Cotentin mosque (Normandy, northwest France) after a shotgun blast targeted the mosque
These attacks on mosques in France are just one of dozens of similar cases.
The Collectif contre l’islamophobie en Europe renews its support for mosques and their leaders, and recalls that it assists them when they come under attack.
To support these legal actions, join the CCIE: https: //ccieurope.org/adherer/