French police launched an investigation on Tuesday after nine pig heads were discovered outside several mosques in the Paris region, according to the city’s police chief, who added that further finds were possible.
“Every effort is being made to find the perpetrators of these despicable acts,” Paris police chief Laurent Nunez wrote on X. The heads were found on public roads in Paris and three nearby suburbs, local authorities reported.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau condemned the actions, calling them “outrageous” and “absolutely unacceptable.” He stated, “I want our Muslim compatriots to be able to practice their faith in peace.”
Chems-Eddine Hafiz, the rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, denounced the “Islamophobic acts” as “a new and sad stage in the rise of anti-Muslim hatred.” He called for “awareness and national solidarity against this dangerous trajectory.”
France is home to the largest Muslim community in the European Union, as well as the largest Jewish population outside of Israel and the United States.
According to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, several EU nations have reported a spike in anti-Muslim hatred and antisemitism since the Gaza war began in October 2023.
