GayandRight

My name is Fred and I am a gay conservative living in Ottawa. This blog supports limited government, the right of the State of Israel to live in peace and security, and tries to expose the threat to us all from cultural relativism, post-modernism, and radical Islam. I am also the founder of the Free Thinking Film Society in Ottawa (www.freethinkingfilms.com)

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Synagogue in France burns down....

Was it arson???
The central synagogue in the French town of Mulhouse was burnt down on Saturday, and the local Jewish community suspects it was an act of arson ahead of the Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The building caught fir during Shabbat prayers and sustained heavy damages. Fortunately, there were no injuries.

At approximately 11 am, while walking to synagogue, Mulhouse resident Mirriam Brown told Ynet she was surprised to see smoke billowing from the structure's windows.

"It is a big synagogue and the smoke was rising from the area where there were no worshipers," she said.

The worshipers present at the time were busy with their Shabbat Mussaf prayer, and did not notice the smoke and flames that were blazing through the synagogue basement.

"I called the fire department, went into the synagogue and warned the worshipers," said Brown, "Everyone evacuated quickly and began removing the Torah books, praying shawls and Holy Scriptures. The worshippers were soon joined by fire fighters who helped with the evacuation."

According to Brown, "The ancient synagogue sustained heavy damage and was completely obliterated inside – everything was burnt down." Brown added that in the foreseen future, the worshipers will have to wander to other synagogues due to the bad condition of their own place of worship.

Mulhouse's Jewish community, which numbers a few thousand members, are awaiting the results of the investigation into the fire. Local Jewish sources said they fear the fire was deliberate, after the synagogue was already defaced earlier this year with anti-Semitic graffiti slogans.

"The largest concentration camp in France was built nearby during the Holocaust. There is a very anti-Semitic atmosphere around and I won't be surprised if it was arson," Brown's cousin, Ilan Shaked, who has spent time in Mulhouse, told Ynet.

"The proximity of the event to Holocaust Remembrance Day raises speculation, especially since there is a very large Muslim population around here," he added.

1 Comments:

Anonymous Patrick HIRSCHHORN said...

PRESS STATEMENT:

As President of the Jewish Congregation of Mulhouse (France),it is my duty to categorically deny the rumor that the fire in our Synagogue was a criminal act !

Fire occured because of an electric accident in the 160 years-old building. Thinking that it could have any relation with the Holocast Remembrance Day is a total nonsense. Police and Fire Departements' investigations both quickly confirmed our first impressions.

Please inform immediately your readers that the dammage caused by the fire involved no criminal act of any kind.
Besides, no worshiper was in the Synagogue when the fire began but actually in another building accross a courtyard. At no time did anybody risk for a his/her life.

It is very important to restore the truth as soon as possible !


Patrick HIRSCHHORN
President of the Jewish Congregation of Mulhouse

5:48 AM  

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