In France, Muslim worshipper stabbed during prayer in mosque

French people near the mosque where a Muslim was killed. Photo: france24.com

In France, an attacker stabbed a Muslim man to death in the mosque of the village of La-Grande-Combe (Gard region) during prayer, reports france24.com.

According to French media, the perpetrator inflicted up to 50 stab wounds on the victim, recorded the incident on a mobile phone while shouting insults against Islam, and then fled the scene.

The deceased was a young Muslim man from Mali, around 23-24 years old, who, according to local residents, was well-known and respected in the community. The assailant had not been seen in the mosque before.

French authorities are treating the incident as a possible hate crime. French Prime Minister François Bayrou called the murder an "Islamophobic atrocity" and expressed solidarity with the country's Muslim community.

President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that "there is no place for racism and religious hatred in France" and expressed support for Muslim citizens.

The suspect, identified as a French citizen of Bosnian origin born in 2004, is still at large. The prosecution stated that he poses a serious danger and his capture is a priority task.

The French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) condemned the crime, calling it a terrorist act against Muslims, and representatives of Jewish organizations in France also expressed outrage at the incident.

Protests against Islamophobia have been announced in Paris in connection with this murder.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that in France, a Muslim beheaded a teacher after a lecture featuring cartoons of Muhammad.

In 2017, the Catholic bishop of Strasbourg stated that Muslims are displacing the French from the country, and in 2020, the French ambassador to Sweden stated that France is a Muslim country.

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