AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): A severed pig’s head was discovered at the entrance of a mosque in Pont-Saint-Esprit, a town in France’s Gard department, on Friday morning during prayers.
Local reports indicate that the animal head was found around 8:00 a.m. by a municipal worker, who promptly notified law enforcement. The incident coincided with Friday prayers, an important day for the Muslim community.
Authorities confirmed that a judicial investigation is being conducted under the oversight of the Nîmes Public Prosecutor to identify those responsible.
Pont-Saint-Esprit Mayor Valère Segal condemned the act, describing it as “horrible” and committed by individuals “on the margins of society.”
The mayor met with Yassine Taleb, president of the Muslim Cultural Association that manages the mosque, to express solidarity and support.
This incident mirrors previous acts targeting Muslim places of worship in France. In March, a pig’s head was placed outside a Turkish mosque in Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais) on the eve of Ramadan. In 2019, attackers left a pig’s head and smeared walls with animal blood at a mosque construction site in Bergerac (Dordogne), according to local prosecutors.
Data from the Collective Against Islamophobia in Europe (CCIE) reveals a notable rise in Islamophobic incidents across France. In 2023, the organization documented 828 cases, a 57% increase from 527 incidents in 2022.
These figures include 779 cases of discrimination, 237 instances of moral harassment, 188 provocations or incitements to hatred, and 23 physical attacks. The report also highlighted that 81.5% of incidents targeted Muslim women, illustrating a gendered dimension to the discrimination.
The education sector saw a particularly significant increase in Islamophobic acts, with 305 cases reported in 2023, accounting for 41% of all incidents in France.
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