Rennes (AFP)

"The crusades will resume", "Charles Martel save us".

Two days before the start of Ramadan, racist tags discovered Sunday morning on the walls of an Islamic cultural center in Rennes provoked a concert of condemnations, some denouncing an "anti-Muslim climate".

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin went to the Villejean district in Rennes on Sunday evening to meet those responsible for the Muslim faith and to express "all the disgust that these inscriptions inspire in us, which are insults, insults to French Muslims, insults to France ".

Christian crosses, chrism or a fleur-de-lis have also been tagged on this cultural center, which hosts a prayer room.

"What worries us today is our safety during Ramadan prayers. We would like to be able to pray serenely," confided a faithful in a white djellaba, on the sidelines of Mr. Darmanin's visit.

The minister said he had instructed the prefects to "particularly (...) protect" Muslims "during this period of religious feast".

An investigation for "degradation due to belonging to a religion" was opened by the Rennes prosecutor's office and entrusted to the Rennes police.

The penalty is 4 years in prison and a fine of 30,000 euros.

Rennes prosecutor Philippe Astruc spoke in a press release of facts "which carry a serious symbolic attack" and "disturb the peaceful exercise of worship".

- "Obscenities" -

"The faithful were shocked by such obscenities. It was violent. Our Muslim community is really sad," said AFP Mohammed Zaidouni, chairman of the regional council for Muslim worship.

"There are some who seek to sow discord in France and we have a duty to preserve the country. We will unite (...) so that God preserves our country, France", he said. added.

Present at the Avicenna center, the Archbishop of Rennes Mgr Pierre d'Ornellas said "to have asked for forgiveness in front of all the Muslim authorities in the name of what I represent".

The authors of the tags "are not Christians doing that. This is not the Christian faith," added the cleric.

The mayor (PS) of Rennes Nathalie Appéré condemned these acts "with force".

"They have no place here," she said.

In his image, many political leaders denounced these degradations, the President of the National Assembly Richard Ferrand (LREM) evoking an "unacceptable sectarian vandalism".

The deputy of France Insoumise Alexis Corbière considered that these facts were "the result of a detestable atmosphere produced by some".

Several anti-Muslim acts have been recorded in recent days in western France.

In Nantes, the door of a mosque was destroyed by fire overnight from Thursday to Friday and a 24-year-old man, claiming neo-Nazi ideas, was indicted on Friday for threatening to attack the mosque from the Mans.

"The heated debates around Islam have often been accompanied by an upsurge in anti-Muslim acts," said Mohammed Moussaoui, president of the French Council of Muslim Worship (CFCM) in a statement.

"It is clear that certain debates around the bill to fight + separatism + have unfortunately served as forums for haters of all stripes," he added.

Abdallah Zekri, president of the National Observatory for Combating Islamophobia, told him about an "anti-Muslim climate" fueled by "the statements of certain politicians".

Asked on this point, Mr. Darmanin reiterated "his solidarity with our Muslim compatriots".

"The Republic loves them," he said.

The month of Ramadan, the month of fasting, prayers and sharing, will begin on Tuesday, the Grand Mosque of Paris confirmed on Sunday.

© 2021 AFP