Moscow, December 21, 2016
“Not a day goes by” without Christian statues being defaced or destroyed in the small German town of Dülmen and its surrounding area, population of less than 50,000, reports Breitbart.
The wave of destruction swept through in late October and early November, leaving behind decapitated statues of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and Francis of Assissi, and and at least fifty others with missing limbs and bashed-in faces.
Local police suspect a religious motivation drives the senseless “lust for destruction” in the area where there is a dense Muslim population. Six men with alleged links to Islamic extremism were under investigation, but all leads turned cold after three left for Syria, one died, and two others disappeared, reports Christian Today.
Günther Fehmer, in charge of the town’s finances, estimates “a whopping six figure sum” of damage, which the local Catholic communities will have to absorb, as outdoor statues are not eligible for insurance.
“We're all very concerned by what is happening, and we're also angry,” Fehmer stated. “You can't take these sculptures inside in the evening and you can't watch them all night,” he said.
Dülmen has been a constant target for such attacks, with over forty sculptures being destroyed over the previous two years.