Desecration of St Clement Cemetery In Orange With Arabic Inscriptions and Vulgar Gestures

Case information
Incident date
Country
France
Place
Orange
Categories
  • Social Hostility / Intolerance
Attack Against
  • Faith
Perpetrator / Motive Indicators
  • Islamist
Hate Crime & Violent Incidents
  • Desecration
  • Vandalism (all)
  • Vandalism of Cemetery
  • Vandalism of Public Christian Symbol
Religious Freedom / Discrimination
  • Other (text field)
Place of Incident
  • Cemetery
Bias Indicators
  • Comments/Written Statements/Gestures/Graffiti
  • Significance of Property/Structure/Location to religious community
Reported to Police
  • Yes
Response of Local Authorities
  • Investigated
Symbolic image; not a photograph of the reported incident.Image credit: Pixabay

On October 20th the police, alarmed by a witness, arrested an individual, known to them, who was desecrating the Saint-Clement cemetery in Orange. Inscriptions in Arabic were found in various places in the chapel. Several grave stones were broken on the ground. A condom and a Koran were found on the altar and the crucifix.

The Orange town hall made a complaint: "Inscriptions in Arabic with blue felt markers were found in several places in the mortuary chapel. Several gravestones were broken on the ground. The altar, as well as the crucifix, were desecrated: a condom and a Koran were found on the altar. According to the translators, it was written: "(...) Almighty on earth and under the earth, he is the supreme commander, after him and before him. There is no god other than (the name is that of the defiler). To him belongs kingship and praise."

Sources