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November 12, 2005
France: Mosque Attacked in Rhone Valley
Yesterday evening (Friday), a mosque in Carpentras in the Rohone Valley, near Lyons, was attacked by arsonists, according to Xinhua. Nobody was hurt in the assault, which happened at 6.15pm. Two molotov cocktails were thrown at the building's exterior by one assailant. The arsonist fled, with two witnesses is pursuit, but he escaped.
According to Kuwaiti News Agency, 20 people inside the mosque put out the fire, which happened during Friday evening prayers.
President Chirac condemned the attacks "unreservedly" and Nicolas Sarkozy, the Interior Minister, said "I wish to express my solidarity and that of the authorities of the Republic with the Muslims of Carpentras. The culprit must be firmly punished."
The UK Independent stated that the attacks were the work of "rightwing extremists", and claimed that Carpentras is a "known hot-bed of ultra-right activity".
Yesterday the Paris chief of police ordered a ban on all large hatherings in the capital, effective as of 10 am this morning (Saturday 12). The rioting seems to be slowing down in the capital and the other trouble-spots, but last night the southern cities of Lyons and Toulouse, and the western city of Bordeaux, all saw arson attacks upon cars and clashes between police and rioters in their poorer suburbs.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at November 12, 2005 4:56 PM
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