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Muslim graves vandalized at Lausanne cemetery

The Local
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Muslim graves vandalized at Lausanne cemetery
The Bois-de-Vaux cemetery. Photo: Jean-Claude Lorenzelli/Wikimedia Commons

Fifteen of 22 graves in part of a Lausanne cemetery devoted to the Muslim faith were vandalized last week, with anti-Muslim graffiti sprayed on the ground, police said.

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Flowers and plants on the graves were removed and wooden grave markers pulled out at the Bois-de-Vaux cemetery, Lausanne police confirmed in a statement, saying they were alerted to the damage on Saturday.
 
A film published by news agency ATS showed graffiti spray-painted on the ground stating ‘Muslims out of Switzerland’ and ‘No to communitarian cemeteries’.
 
 
The city of Lausanne will lodge a criminal complaint against those responsible, said the police statement, adding that the commune “strongly condemns this unacceptable act of vandalism”.
 
 
The relatives of those whose graves were vandalized will be contacted by the authorities, and the graves will be cleaned up by the city authorities.
 
The authorities have also made contact with the Vaud union of Muslim associations, said police. 
 
Speaking to ATS,  its president, Pascal Gemperli, said he was shocked by the vandalism, adding: “We have a hate problem in our society which we must work together to address."
 
The Muslim section of the Bois-de-Vaux cemetery opened in 2016. Muslim graves at the cemetery had previously been the target of vandals.
 

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