A copy of the Koran was stolen and burnt down in the Errahma mosque in Villeurbanne, on the night of June 1 to 2. An Islamophobic act described as “odious desecration” by religious leaders and local authorities, which is part of a national context marked by a disturbing resurgence of anti -Muslim acts.
An act of desecration was committed on the night of Sunday to Monday at the Errahma mosque in Villeurbanne, near Lyon. A man, not masked, entered the prayer room shortly before dawn, grabbed a copy of the Koran, burned him and left him outside the place of worship before fleeing.
Mosque officials filed a complaint and denounced an “extremely gravity Islamophobic act”. An investigation was opened, a police source confirmed to AFP. The Rhône Mosques Council (CMR) condemned an “odious desecration” and a “serious damage to the fundamental principles of the Republic”, calling for exemplary proceedings.
The mayor of Villeurbanne, Cédric Van Styvendael, reacted on the Bluesky network, denouncing “one more Islamophobic act” and expressing his solidarity with the Muslim community.
This incident occurs in a tense national climate. In 2024, 173 anti -Muslim acts were recorded in France: 52 % against goods and 48 % against people. The Minister of the Interior even believes that these figures are probably below reality.
This new act occurs the day after the assassination of a Tunisian, Hichem Miraoui in Puget-sur-Argens, in the Var, by a man who had also attacked a Turkish national. This crime, described as a racist and potentially terrorist, shocked opinion. The two facts strengthen concerns in the face of the rise of hatred targeting Muslims in France.
