Vandal Targets Bondy Mosque in Seine-Saint-Denis, Investigation Launched

Broken patio door, damaged skylight... The Bondy mosque was the target of an attack last Wednesday. "A man arrived on a motorcycle with a helmet and mask, he opened his top case to take equipment from it," says Le Parisien Mohammed Meniri, rector of the Grand Mosque of Bondy. "It was a silhouette in black, but we see that the individual is determined and to enter, he went over the railing which must be almost 3 meters high." The alleged perpetrator broke windows at the entrance and in the veranda. Once the act was committed, he left.

"We found small marble debris possibly from the base of a sports trophy," says Mohammed Meniri. "It was like a commando operation, this man entered to break and commit an act of vandalism against a symbol. The damage is mainly moral. Thank God, there were no worshipers present at the time of the events."

On Twitter, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, in charge of religious affairs, condemned "the unacceptable degradation that targeted (last Wednesday) the Bondy mosque" and expressed his "support for the Muslims of France." For his part, Jacques Witkowski, prefect of Seine-Saint-Denis, firmly condemned "the act of vandalism against the mosque on the Chemin du Groslay in Bondy," specifying that the judicial investigation is ongoing and the police remain mobilized.

"All my support to the Muslim community of Bondy whose mosque was vandalized yesterday. I hope that the perpetrators of this cowardly and senseless act will be quickly found and brought to justice. Let’s remain strong and united in the face of intolerance," reacted the (LR) mayor of Bondy, Stephen Hervé. For its part, the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) condemned "firmly the act of vandalism" and "expresses its full support to the leaders and worshipers of the mosque."