Quran Burned Outside Mosque in France Amid Surge in Anti-Muslim Hate

By Staff, Agencies

In a deeply disturbing act of religious hatred, an unidentified individual burned a copy of the Holy Quran and left it outside a mosque in Villeurbanne, near Lyon, France, late Sunday night.

The incident, condemned as a “heinous desecration,” is the latest in a rising wave of anti-Muslim hate crimes in the country.

According to a statement by the Council of Mosques of the Rhone [CMR], the individual entered the mosque’s prayer hall, committed the act of arson, and fled. The CMR described the act as “Islamophobic” and carried out with “appalling cowardice,” adding that it reflected a broader climate of hostility towards Muslims in France.

“This vile act is part of a series of hateful assaults that reflect a worrying and increasingly hostile climate towards Muslim citizens in France,” the CMR said. The organization highlighted the recent violent incidents contributing to this tense context, including the April 25 stabbing death of Aboubakar Cissé during prayers at another mosque, and Saturday’s fatal shooting of a Tunisian man by a neighbor.

Condemning the Qur’an desecration as a violation of worshippers’ dignity and of France’s fundamental values, including freedom of religion, the CMR urged swift and serious legal action. “It is our collective responsibility — institutions, elected officials, and all citizens — to stand united against all forms of hatred, stigmatization and violence targeting places of worship and believers,” the council stated.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident.

France, home to the European Union’s largest Muslim population, has seen a troubling increase in Islamophobic incidents, especially amid political tensions. This act follows a broader pattern of Qur’an burnings and public desecrations across Europe, which have provoked outrage and condemnation in Muslim-majority countries.

In July 2023, following widespread desecrations of the Quran, a motion at the UN Human Rights Council called on member states to close legal gaps that hinder the prevention and prosecution of religious hate crimes — a call that remains highly relevant as such attacks persist.