Nine Pigs’ Heads Found Outside Paris Mosques, Sparking Outcry Over Anti-Muslim Hatred

At least nine pigs’ heads were discovered outside mosques in Paris and its surrounding suburbs, an act described by French authorities as “despicable” and condemned across the political spectrum as a new low in anti-Muslim hatred.

“Pig heads have been left in front of certain mosques… four in Paris and five in the inner suburbs,” Paris police chief Laurent Nunez told a press conference, adding that officers were not “ruling out the possibility of finding more.” Police have opened a probe into incitement to hatred aggravated by discrimination based on race or religion.

Among the grisly findings was a pig’s head hidden in a suitcase outside a northern Paris mosque. Several heads bore the surname “Macron” scrawled in blue ink,  an apparent reference to the French president. “These are despicable acts,” Nunez said, urging “extreme caution” but noting that investigators see possible parallels with past incidents linked to “foreign interference.”

Leaders addressing Muslims at Islah Mosque after pig heads found outside

France hosts Europe’s largest Muslim community, more than six million people,  for whom pork is considered impure. Similar provocations have been reported before, including a pig’s head left outside a Muslim association in the northern Pas-de-Calais region in 2024. 

Interior ministry figures show a sharp rise in anti-Muslim incidents this year, a 72–75% increase in reported attacks between January and May 2025 compared with the same period in 2024, with assaults on individuals tripling.

The context is volatile. Several EU nations have reported spikes in anti-Muslim hatred and antisemitism since Israel’s invasion of Gaza in October 2023. 

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza, as the humanitarian crisis deepens.

French leaders moved quickly to reassure Muslim citizens. President Emmanuel Macron met with representatives of the Muslim community in the capital to express his “support,” his office told reporters.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said the city had taken legal action, denouncing the “racist acts.” Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau called the deeds “outrageous” and “absolutely unacceptable,” declaring, “I want our Muslim compatriots to be able to practice their faith in peace.”

Community leaders echoed that alarm. Chems-Eddine Hafiz, rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, called the incidents “Islamophobic acts” and “a new and sad stage in the rise of anti-Muslim hatred.” 

Bassirou Camara, head of the anti-discrimination group Addam, warned, “We have been raising the alarm for months and we are not being heard. What will be the next step? Throwing pigs’ heads at worshippers or physically assaulting them?”

Anwar El-Madina mosque in Paris

French police say the criminal probe is ongoing. Some reports point to perpetrators using a vehicle with Serbian number plates and a Croatian phone line before leaving France,  details authorities are examining as they weigh whether the act was part of a deliberate attempt to sow social discord.

As investigations continue, the incident has left many French Muslims shaken, underscoring the urgency of addressing a climate of rising hatred and ensuring, in the words of Interior Minister Retailleau, that they can “practice their faith in peace.”