French politicians condemn vandals who defaced mosque with Islamophobic graffiti

Interior minister calls the vandalism in Rennes 'unacceptable'

A worker paints over anti-Muslim graffiti at the mosque in the north-west French city of Rennes. AFP

Politicians in France have condemned vandals who defaced the walls of a mosque with Islamophobic graffiti shortly before the start of Ramadan.

France's Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the vandalism was "unacceptable" after a caretaker and worshippers at the mosque in Rennes discovered the graffiti early on Sunday.

It included slogans attacking Islam and immigration and a call for Catholicism to be made the state religion in France.

Mr Darmanin was in Rennes on Sunday evening to show his "solidarity" with French Muslims.

"Freedom of religion in France is a fundamental freedom," he said on Twitter.

Nathalie Appere, the local mayor, said the "anti-Muslim inscriptions" on the walls of the mosque and cultural centre had no place in France or in Rennes.

"All my support to the people of Rennes, and particularly to the believers shocked by these shameful acts," she said.

Valerie Boyer, a member of France's Senate, also condemned the vandalism. "Shame on those who are responsible for these anti-Muslim acts in Rennes."

The prosecutor's office in Rennes has opened an investigation.

Mohammed Zaidouni, the president of the local regional council of Muslims, condemned what he called the "obscene phrases".

"We are the children of the Republic and we find ourselves facing hate, violence and barbarism," he told AFP.

Ahmed Ait Chikh, president of the cultural centre in Rennes, told French media that the vandalism was a "despicable and cowardly act".

"We do not understand this hatred," he said.

Abdallah Zekri, president of the National Observatory Against Islamophobia, denounced what he said the current anti-Islam climate in France.

"Unfortunately, the declarations of certain politicians are only making things worse," he said.

In the western city of Nantes, the door of a mosque was destroyed by a fire on Thursday night.

And on Friday, a 24-year-old neo-Nazi was charged for making threats against the mosque in Le Mans, also in western France.