ISTANBUL

The French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) announced Sunday that copies of the Quran were torn and thrown after an individual broke into a mosque in south-central France.

"Muslims in France are deeply shocked and hurt by the desecration of copies of the Quran, which were torn and thrown on the ground by individuals who broke into a mosque in broad daylight in Le Puy-en-Velay (Haute-Loire department)," the French Council of the Muslim Faith wrote in a statement issued on US social media company X.

While noting that there were no victims, the group warned of the risk of such acts multiplying in a “toxic climate” recently fueled by “biased” surveys, reports, and stigmatizing proposals targeting Muslims.

"This desecration, which symbolically targeted the sacred book of Muslims within a place of worship, constitutes a serious Islamophobic act that reflects a hatred that must not be underestimated," the Council of the Muslim Faith added.

On Wednesday, the Montreal-la-Cluse Cultural Center, affiliated with the Turkish-Muslim umbrella group DITIB (Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs), was also targeted in an attack.

"A bullet, apparently from a firearm, was found in the mailbox of our association. We strongly condemn this attack targeting the Turkish community of Montreal-la-Cluse and the practice of living together in harmony," the association wrote in a statement issued on social media.

It noted that that the attack was aimed at "undermining the practice of living together and disrupting this atmosphere of serenity."

"As an association, we will undertake all necessary legal measures and follow this matter with the utmost seriousness," the statement added.