An unknown person burned a Koran at a mosque in central France.

In France, an unknown man stole a Koran from the Errama mosque in the city of Villerban, located near Lyon, and set fire to the holy book at the exit of the building. This was announced on June 3 on the website of the Council of Mosques of the Rhone department.

It is noted that the incident occurred on the night of June 2.

"Around 3:45 (4:45 Moscow time. — Ed.), that is, 20 minutes before the call to the first prayer, a man who hid his face entered the prayer hall. He took a copy of the Koran, set it on fire and left it at the entrance to the building before fleeing," the communique says.

The regional council of mosques called the incident "one of a series of hate attacks." The organization also expressed concern about the negative attitudes towards Muslims in France.

They recalled two cases of attacks on Muslims: in the Ghar department on May 1, where a young Malian parishioner died after being stabbed in a mosque, and in the Var department on June 2, when a young Muslim from Tunisia was killed. The Council called on the competent authorities to do everything possible to identify the attacker and bring him to justice.

On January 30, it became known that the 38-year-old arsonist of the Koran in the center of Stockholm, Salvan Momika (the incident occurred in June 2023), was shot dead at his home in Sweden on the day when the court was supposed to sentence him. It was reported that at the time of the murder, he was broadcasting live on social networks.

Political scientist Dmitry Levy expressed the opinion that the murder of the organizer of the Koran burning action would not lead to protest sentiments in the country. According to Levy, the crime was caused by the reaction of the conservative part of Swedish society, supporters of conservative Islam, after religion was used as a political tool.