The French Interior Ministry has released a comprehensive report detailing a troubling rise in anti-religious acts across the country between 2010 and 2025, with a particular focus on the past year. The document, which covers the three main monotheistic faiths—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—warns that these attacks undermine freedom of conscience and threaten national cohesion.
According to the ministry, anti-religious acts have increased by 21% over the past decade, with a notable surge following the Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October 2023 and the subsequent Israel-Hamas conflict. The report notes that while there was a slight dip in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, the overall trend is upward, driven primarily by a rise in antisemitic incidents and, to a lesser extent, anti-Muslim acts.
Antisemitic Acts Now Majority
Antisemitic acts have risen steadily since 2010, reaching a record peak in 2023. The report highlights a staggering 1,209% increase in such incidents between September and October 2023, with 1,242 of the 1,676 recorded antisemitic incidents that year occurring after 7 October. Although numbers fell slightly in 2025, they remain at historically high levels, now accounting for 53% of all anti-religious acts—a 203% increase from 2022 to 2025.
Most antisemitic acts involve attacks on individuals (67% in 2025), including threatening remarks and gestures (576 incidents), graffiti (402), physical assaults (126), and property damage (117). Physical violence against Jewish people has tripled since 2022, with 126 incidents in 2025 compared to 42 in 2022. The ministry also warns of persistent antisemitism among younger generations, attributing it to the spread of violent speech on social media, particularly since October 2023.
Anti-Christian Acts on the Rise
Anti-Christian incidents have also climbed, peaking in 2018 with 1,063 reports before a pandemic-era lull. In 2025, 843 incidents were recorded, a 9% increase from 2024, driven by a 70% rise in attacks on individuals. While property attacks remain dominant (87% of incidents), physical assaults on Christians doubled, with 23 incidents in 2025, including 14 targeting leaders of places of worship—a fourfold increase in a single year.
The year was marked by the murder of Ashur Sarnaya, a 45-year-old Iraqi Christian, in Lyon on 10 September. Disruption of religious services and threats against worshippers also rose sharply, with 54 incidents in 2025, up 86% from 2024. Almost all anti-Christian acts target the Catholic community (817 incidents), with Protestant and Orthodox communities reporting 22 and 4 incidents, respectively.
Anti-Muslim Acts Surge
Anti-Muslim acts have seen a dramatic increase, with 326 incidents in 2025—up 88% from 2024 and 35% from 2023. This surge is driven by a 151% rise in attacks on individuals, including a 210% increase in threatening remarks and gestures (158 incidents). Notably, there were 25 cases of pig carcasses being dumped outside prayer rooms and Muslim-frequented places, a 317% increase from 2024.
The ministry notes that spikes often coincide with religious gatherings like Ramadan or public debates, such as the controversy over wearing headscarves in sport. The report also suggests that better reporting may partly explain the increase, but the overall trend remains alarming.
The Interior Ministry emphasizes that these figures are likely underestimated, as not all victims file complaints. The report concludes that anti-religious acts endanger the very balance of French society, affecting all faiths across the entire territory. This comes amid broader European debates on religious freedom and social cohesion, with France's experience offering a stark warning for other member states.
