Authorities in France discovered Islamic graffiti on nearly sixty tombs at a French cemetery with statements like “Submit to Allah,” “France is already Allah’s” and “Happy Ramadan, non-Muslims.” In a development that has infuriated the neighbourhood, 58 burial sites in the Clermont-d’Excideuil cemetery in Périgord Vert, Dordogne, were found to have been vandalised on the morning of 11th March (Monday).
The incident was reported to have occurred on the night of 10th March (Sunday) but was noticed by Clermont d’Excideuil Mayor Claude Eymery the next morning. Inscriptions covered tombs, the war memorial, the church door, a Calvary, and a fountain. “France is already Allah’s,” is scrawled in capital letters on the edge of one tomb site while another displayed, “Happy Ramadan, non-Muslims.” “GWER” which translates as ‘white person, Westerner, or non-Muslim’ in Algerian Arabic, is seen on at least two tombs. The church’s wooden doors bearing the words “Ramadan Mubarak,” placed 300 meters from the graveyard, also served as a target.
Mayor Eymery reportedly witnessed the alarming instance when he arrived at the cemetery at 8:30 in the morning on Monday. He mentioned the same to FranceInfo and contacted the police right away, stating, “It’s weird in a small town like that. I thought it only happened elsewhere.” Jacques-Edouard Andrault, the public prosecutor of Périgueux, responded to the information promptly and declared that an ‘aggravated damage’ probe had been launched.
Residents of Périgord Vert frequently bury their loved ones in the cemetery and many of them were “shocked” and “traumatized” by the tragedy. A local expressed, “I just discovered these tags and it sends shivers down my spine. When I read this, it chills me. It’s a trauma for the town.” According to Alexandre Caillé of the SOS Calvaires association, “People came to see the tombs of their ancestors, of their elders, which were dedicated to eternal rest and ultimately which were disturbed.”
She added, “What is important is the symbol. We are talking about the war memorial, about people who fought for France to be free. People are really outraged, shocked, and some are even traumatized.” An individual voiced, “I just discovered these tags and it sends shivers down my spine. When I read this, it chills me. It’s a trauma for the town.” Another person conveyed, “I didn’t believe it, not here. Honestly, I’m scandalized. I hope we’ll find the author(s) who did this. I grew up in a foster family where they taught respect. Even if you are not a believer or of another religion, you must respect yourself.”