Paris - An arson attack on a mosque near Lyon in France damaged copies of the Koran and other religious books on Saturday, Muslim officials said. Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said police would do everything in their power to catch the culprits.
The fire broke out in the early hours at the entrance to the mosque in Saint-Priest. Worshippers arriving for morning prayers put out the flames before the fire brigade arrived.
"The culprits wanted to set fire to the whole mosque," said Kamel Kabtane, head of Lyon's Grand Mosque.
The building suffered minor damage to its entrance from smoke and heat.
The French Council of the Muslim Faith called on people to be alert in view of what it said was an increase in attacks on Muslim graves and places of worship.
