The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the attempted arson of a Muslim prayer room in Châtillon-sur-Seine, France.
The prayer room was reportedly targeted with attempted arson during the night of Thursday to Friday, August 15. The police found pamphlets that had been set alight and wedged in the door. The fire was put out early and the incident reportedly left the door slightly blackened. France’s Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, denounced the incident, describing it as “an anti-Muslim act of great cowardice.”
SEE: Muslim prayer room in France targeted in arson attempt
“We condemn both this hateful attack on a place of worship and the rising tide of anti-Muslim bigotry across Europe,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. “French leaders must stop engaging in the kind of rhetoric that emboldens and inspires these kinds of hateful attacks.”
CAIR has previously condemned anti-Muslim incidents and policies in France.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com