Manifestation planned in Paris following horrific murder of Assyrian man
The murder of the 45-year-old Assyrian has shocked Christians in France, with a group now organizing a demonstration in Paris against what they call Christianophobia.
A demonstration has been announced following the horrific murder of Assyrian Ashur Sarnaya on 10 September in his home in Lyon, in what is believed to have been an Islamic attack over his online criticism of Islam. The event, planned for 28 September, will take place in central Paris, according to announcements made online.
The Assyria Post
The organizers, identified by French Christian outlets as Orthodox and Catholic individuals, say they want to draw attention to the plight of persecuted Christians in France and around the world, a phenomenon they describe as Christianophobia.
“Ashur's murder was only a trigger, revealing the reality of Christian persecution in France and the danger of silence,” Antonio, one of the organizers, told reporters.
News of Sarnaya’s murder – streamed live on TikTok as the attacker stabbed him in the neck – has been widely reported in French media, though suspicions of it being an Islamic attack have been downplayed in mainstream coverage. The case gained further attention when Marine Le Pen, France’s leading opposition figure and an outspoken critic of Muslim immigration, shared the news on her social media accounts.
The announcement of the rally has spread quickly across Christian websites and social media, with many Assyrians in France expressing their intention to attend. Paris is home to a sizable Assyrian community. The leading Assyrian organization in France, AACF, issued a statement on 19 September condemning the killing and expressing disappointment in French media for their silence. The statement also called for the authorities to do their outmost to identify the perpetrators.
France has been shaken by several Islamic terror attacks in recent years, fueling debates about migration, Islam, and integration. The country’s Minister of the Interior recently revealed that anti-Christian acts have risen, with “401 incidents recorded between January and June compared to 354 over the same period in 2024, an increase of 13%.”
