France Condemns Racist Attack on Muslim Prayer Hall Amid Rising Islamophobia
France Condemns Racist Attack on Muslim Prayer Hall Amid Rising Islamophobia
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A Muslim prayer hall in Fontaine, a suburb of Grenoble, was vandalized in an incident that has drawn widespread condemnation. Worshippers discovered the words “Islam Out” sprayed on the entrance door, along with pig bones and sausage placed at the doorway. The Fontaine Muslim Cultural Association (ACMF) denounced the attack, calling it an act of anti-Muslim hatred that undermines France’s core republican values. The group stressed that Islam is a religion of peace and urged a calm response to such provocations.
Authorities reacted swiftly. Fontaine’s mayor, Franck Longo, visited the site, while regional prefect Catherine Séguin confirmed that police were fully mobilized to identify those responsible. Prosecutors have opened a formal investigation. Politicians across the spectrum also voiced outrage. Alain Bruneau, a candidate from the left-wing France Unbowed (LFI) party, labeled the attack “disgusting vandalism,” calling for stronger protections for the Muslim community.
The French Communist Party (PCF) expressed solidarity with local Muslims, while the Collective Against Islamophobia in Europe (CCIE) urged digital documentation of the case to pursue legal action. The attack follows a series of similar incidents on September 9, when nine mosques in Paris and its suburbs were defiled with pig heads. The Great Mosque of Paris described these acts as a dangerous escalation of anti-Muslim sentiment, warning against targeting places of worship.
President Emmanuel Macron phoned Paris Mosque rector Chems-Eddine Hafiz to express solidarity and pledged to bolster mosque security. Meanwhile, political debate intensified, with France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon accusing Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau of fueling tensions, while Retailleau condemned the attack as desecration and vowed legal action. Observers warn that the rise in Islamophobic rhetoric risks undermining national unity and social cohesion in France.
