Muslim worshippers gathering for afternoon prayers on Tuesday in eastern Paris were upset by the discovery of pigs' heads outside several mosques across the French capital.
Some of the heads, such as the one found outside Anwar El Madina Mosque, bore the name of French President Emmanuel Macron, in blue ink. When The National visited, police officers could be seen talking to the mosque's supervisor Alim Burahee and promising more security.
"We're a bit afraid," said Mr Burahee, a taxi driver from Mauritius. "What if someone started shooting at us tomorrow?" Four months ago, the mosque was daubed with far-right slogans, he said.
A Paris police unit is investigating the latest incident over suspected incitement to hatred, aggravated by discrimination, the Paris prosecutor's office said. Authorities said they did not know who was behind the attack.
An older worshipper, who declined to give his name, said a pig's head was removed by the police shortly after it had been found on Tuesday morning. He described the incident as "pitiful" and said: "I try not to care about these things."
Another worshipper expressed similar feelings, but would not give his name due to the anti-Islam atmosphere in France. He also brushed off expressions of support from French politicians. "Politicians are hypocrites," he said. "I'm French and Muslim. This is Islamophobia and it happens often."
After the incident, Mr Macron spoke to representatives of the Muslim community in Paris to offer his support, but did not issue a public statement. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said he understood Muslims "feel hurt".
"I want our Muslim compatriots to be able to practise their faith in peace," he said. On X, he wrote: "To attack a place of worship is an act of unfathomable cowardice."
The political fallout escalated when leftist leader Jean-Luc Melenchon linked the attack to growing diplomatic tension over the Gaza war. He also criticised Mr Retailleau for his campaign to ban Muslim women from wearing headscarves in sports, a campaign publicly supported by Mr Macron.
Former prime minister Gabriel Attal, a centrist, described the incident as a "vile, unworthy and revolting act".
The role of Islam in French society remains a polarising issue in a country that is home to Europe’s largest Muslim population – estimated at more than six million.
“French politicians need to act more responsibly and elevate the national conversation," said Hamza Hraoui, director of the Paris-based public affairs firm MGH Partners. "We must stop reducing the identity of French Muslims solely to their religion.”
Racism is rising in France, according to a 2024 report from France's human rights commission. Seventy-nine anti-Muslim acts were recorded by the Interior Ministry between January and March, a 72 per cent rise on the same period in 2024.
In June, after a Tunisian barber was shot dead by his neighbour, France's anti-terror prosecutor's office PNAT opened its first investigation into a murder inspired by far-right ideology. In April, thousands protested after a Malian was stabbed to death in a mosque by an intruder who insulted Islam while filming the act.
