By Prensa Latina
Paris : The desecration of 148 tombs of Muslim French soldiers who served in World War I overnight by unknown individuals in the military cemetery of Notre-Dame-de-Lorette has been widely condemned by several French sectors, who term it as most unacceptable racism and demand severe sentences.
Less than a year ago that a similar act took place in the same cemetery located in the district of Arras, in northern France, the vaults were daubed with insulting slogans with black pain, Nazi symbols and were also decorated with insulting materials and anti-Semitic insults on Saturday and they placed on one of them a pig head.
They also insulted French Justice Minister Rachida Dati, who is of Muslim origin, who requested an urgent investigation for having insulted the values of the Republic.
CRCM (Regional Council for the Muslim Religion) President Bahssine Saaidi requested a common effort of religious and public authorities to end these acts that have already happened in France.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said this is “racism of the most unacceptable (type) that exists” attempting against the memory of all the soldiers of World War I and he said he “shares the pain of the Muslims of France, apart from the religious belief.
Likewise, the Socialist Party expressed its disapproval and demanded sanctions for those guilty.
The Justice Minister issued a statement Sunday strongly condemning the desecration, which is the second in the same cemetery in a period of a year.
Fifty-two graves were dubbed with Nazi slogans in the Muslim sector of Notre Dame de Lorette cemetery where 30,000 Muslims are buried.