by Eireann Van Natta, The Daily Caller:
The Church of the Immaculate Conception in France went up in flames at the start of September, becoming the latest classic church in Europe to burn. Authorities are trying to determine what is driving the attacks, and data points to anti-Christian radicals and Islamists as the primary culprits.
A suspect with a history of allegedly committing arson attacks on churches was arrested for allegedly setting fire to the Saint-Omer church last week, according to France Bleu. He had recently been released from prison and allegedly targeted churches multiple times.
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The suspect, Joel Vigoreuz, reportedly had posts sympathetic to left-wing views and videos of Islamic preachers on his social media.
Francia. Un fermo per l’incendio della chiesa dell’Immacolata Concezione di Saint-Omer. Joel Vigoureux, 38 anni plurirecidivo e già arrestato per aver dato fuoco ad altre chiese. Sui suoi profili social post anti-razzisti, pro-palestina e video di predicatori islamici. pic.twitter.com/v8h1ezudOx
— Leonardo Panetta (@LeonardoPanetta) September 3, 2024
“There is a general anti-Christian sentiment in France, from its anti-clerical and radical secularist history, which has gone unchallenged for years,” Anja Hoffmann of the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians (OIDAC) in Europe told the Caller. “It should not come as too much of a surprise that these attitudes might at some point translate into violent action.”
She stated an “increasing number of perpetrators” of the crimes targeting Christians are members of anti-Christian “ideological, political or religious groups.”