ISTANBUL

A former Muslim place of worship in northeastern France has been ransacked, with copies of the Holy Quran desecrated, swastika symbols graffitied on the walls, and signs of an attempted arson, local media reported.

The attack targeted a building in L’Hopital, near Saint-Avold in the Moselle region, previously managed by the Muslim association, Les Amis du peuple mediterraneen and Le Republicain Lorrain newspapers reported on Wednesday.

Though no longer used as a mosque since 2021 due to safety regulation issues, the site remains under the association’s ownership.

Prayer rugs were ripped apart, furniture overturned, and gas bottles, tires, and jerrycans filled with gasoline were found at the scene, suggesting an intent to set the building on fire, the association leaders said.

The association’s representatives had not visited the building for three weeks prior to May 27, raising uncertainty about when exactly the vandalism occurred.

Police forensic teams have carried out investigations, and a formal complaint has been filed.

"This vile racist act strikes at the heart of our social cohesion," said Tristan Atmania, a municipal councilor, calling for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

Mayor Emmanuel Schuler condemned the attack as "unacceptable and intolerable."

The incident has sparked widespread outrage on social media and comes amid heightened concerns over anti-Muslim acts in France.

Just a month ago, 22-year-old Malian national Aboubakar Cisss was killed in a stabbing attack inside the Khadija mosque in La Grand-Combe (Gard), an incident that further alarmed Muslim communities across the country.

Authorities have yet to identify the vandals responsible for the latest attack.