Fire in Church; "Allahu Akbar" Sprayed on Walls

Case information
Incident date
Country
France
Place
Orléans
Categories
  • Social Hostility / Intolerance
Attack Against
  • Faith
Perpetrator / Motive Indicators
  • Islamist
  • Private
Hate Crime & Violent Incidents
  • Arson
  • Vandalism (all)
  • Vandalism of Church
Place of Incident
  • Church
Bias Indicators
  • Comments/Written Statements/Gestures/Graffiti
  • Racial/Ethnic/Gender/Cultural Differences
  • Significance of Property/Structure/Location to religious community
  • Time/Place/Location
Reported to Police
  • Yes
Response of Local Authorities
  • Investigated
Image credit: Par Peter Potrowl, CC BY-SA 3.0

A fire was set in the church Saint-Pierre du Matroi in Orléans on the 25th of July. Sheet music was burned, furniture was damaged, and smears of graffiti were found on several walls, including one reading "Allahu Akbar." The fire brigade was able to intervene early enough to prevent further spread of the fire, thus preserving the support structure of the church. The police believe the fire was intentionally set.

Sources