File Photo: Al-Azhar headquarters in Cairo.
According to French authorities, the attacker is a 39-year-old man known to law enforcement for previous violent behaviours.
He stormed the mosque during the Friday prayer hours and attacked a worshipper with his knife, inflicting nearly 50 stab wounds in his body.
The victim, Aboubakar, whom the French media identified as a 22-year-old Malian man, was fatally stabbed dozens of times by the assailant motivated by anti-Islamic hatred.
Despite efforts by emergency services, the victim succumbed to his injuries.
The attacker, identified as Olivier — a French national of Bosnian origin born in 2004 — fled the scene and remains at large.
The perpetrator reportedly filmed the victim writhing in agony and sent the video to another individual, who then shared it on a social media platform before later deleting it.
The French authorities have launched an anti-terrorism investigation, citing clear evidence of religious hatred as the motive behind the attack.
Al-Azhar warned against the growing activities of "white terrorism" groups across Europe and America.
It highlighted that these groups often operate under deceptive banners such as "white supremacy" and "white nationalism" to justify their brutal crimes against Muslims.
The Muslim institution stressed the urgent need for a comprehensive global security strategy that addresses this dangerous trend and curbs the threats and crimes that continue to endanger Muslims.
Al-Azhar also extended its heartfelt condolences and sincere sympathies to the victim’s family, praying that God Almighty grant him mercy and forgiveness and bless his loved ones with patience and solace.
"Racism and religious hatred have no place in France. Freedom of worship must not be violated," President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X on Sunday in his first comment on the incident, expressing support for "our fellow Muslim citizens."
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