Quran Burned in Lyon Mosque: 27-Year-Old Arrested, Act Condemned as Islamophobic

In a deeply disturbing incident, a Quran was desecrated at the Errahma Mosque in Villeurbanne, a suburb of Lyon, France. The incident occurred in the early hours of June 2nd, 2025, just before the morning prayer. A 27-year-old man, identified only as psychologically fragile and under court-ordered curatorship, broke into the mosque and set fire to a copy of the holy book before fleeing the scene. He was apprehended later that day and has since confessed to the crime. The mayor of Villeurbanne, Cedric Van Styvendael, released a statement condemning the act as "an Islamophobic act," expressing his solidarity with the mosque and its community. The Council of Mosques of the Rhône also issued a statement, highlighting the incident as part of a worrying trend of anti-Muslim attacks in France. The investigation is ongoing, and the incident has sparked widespread outrage and calls for increased protection of religious sites.