Syrian Women Vandalized Church in Rennes-le-Château

Country: France

Date of incident: April 23, 2017


On the morning of April 23rd, a young Syrian women vandalized the church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine. The woman, dressed in a white cloak and face hidden behind a Venetian mask, attacked the holy water font with an ax, decapitated the famous "red devil" (a statue of the demon Asmodeus from the Old Testament), and placed a Quran next to his chopped-off arm. She then lacerated the bas-relief of Mary Magdalene's altar in front of shocked witnesses.

Police arrested the woman. When asked why she committed these acts, the woman responded “Today is the day of the presidential election, whilst in Syria Western bombs kill children. You are all disbelievers. My husband is over there." The woman was examined by psychiatrists and deemed mentally competent to face criminal charges.
 
Sources: Midi Libre, Midi Libre, and Christianophobie