On July 25 a church in the French city of Orléans was defaced with graffiti. Nobody knows the perpetrator or the motive, but a mysterious message — “Allah ou Akbar” — was included in the graffiti. I have no idea what that’s about.

As it happens, it is in the same church that Joan of Arc is honored every year with a religious concert. But I’m sure that’s only a coincidence…

Many thanks to Ava Lon for translating this article from 20 Minutes:

Orléans: arson, destruction and heinous graffiti in a church

On Wednesday evening, a church in Orléans was partially set on fire. Graffiti “Allah ou Akbar”[sic] were found on the building…

by Caroline Politi
July 26th 2018

[Photo caption: The Saint-Pierre du Martroi Church was victim of defacement]

The criminal nature of the arson leaves no doubt. On Wednesday evening, the Saint-Pierre du Martroi Church in Orléans was the target of a series of malevolent acts, according to police. The religious music sheets were set on fire, furniture was defaced, heinous graffiti were discovered on several walls of the religious building. In the middle of those graffiti, the investigators found the inscription: “Allah ou Akbar” [sic], the source specifies.

The fire, promptly tackled by the fire brigade, didn’t damage the structure of the building. An investigation was opened by the police station in Orléans.