The Armenian Evangelical Church in Alfortville Targeted Twice in One Week
On April 2, 2017, the Pastor and his wife were awakened by flames that lit up the window of their room above the church. A rubbish bin filled with gasoline had been set on fire in front of the building's door. Firefighters were called and immediately intervened. The fire was brought under control and only the facade and the cross were blackened by the flames. A week earlier, the building had been stoned, destroying the double glazing of the front door. The Pastor noted that stoning incident immediately followed the visit of an Iraqi pastor who came to talk about the situation of the Eastern Christians. Police are investigating.
"The aggressions against our community awaken painful memories," said Rev. Léonian. "We experienced genocide by our grandparents, we went through the war in Lebanon, the persecution in Iran, the war in Syria today ... Our memory is hurt." The National Council of Evangelicals of France condemned the degradation, recalling that it was "the third evangelical church targeted in a few months by malicious acts," after that of Manosque and Calais in 2016.
Source: Le Figero