Islamic Extremists Threaten Notre Dame Amid Ongoing Tensions

PARIS, France — A video depicting Islamic extremists threatening to burn down Notre Dame Cathedral has gone viral on social media. The footage demands the release of Brahim Aouissaoui, a Tunisian national convicted of killing three people during a knife attack in 2020 at Notre Dame Basilica in Nice.

The video first appeared online in January 2025, falsely linking it to Syria’s Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group. It resurfaced recently, raising new concerns amid escalating tensions due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict that began in October 2023.

Masked individuals wearing keffiyehs can be seen in the video, speaking Arabic. They state, “We demand the French government release our brother Ibrahim Alisaoui. If he is not released, the wrath of God will fall upon your people here in France; your next churches will burn.” This threat directly references Aouissaoui, who was responsible for the deadly attack on October 29, 2020.

During the attack in Nice, Aouissaoui fatally stabbed two women and one man, an act French authorities labeled as Islamic terrorism. Aouissaoui, who was 21 at the time and entered France irregularly, had a record of minor crimes and was sentenced to life imprisonment in February 2025. His trial shed light on his radicalization and mental health issues, according to the Counter Extremism Project.

Victims of the 2020 attack included 55-year-old sexton Vincent Loques, 60-year-old Nadine Devillers, and a 54-year-old man. The video has been widely shared, with individuals like Tommy Robinson calling for action against Islamic extremism and stating, “get these people out of our societies.”

Political figures, including MEP Dominik Tarczyński and Faraz Pervaiz, have framed the video as indicative of jihadist threats to churches, linking it to broader immigration and terrorism issues.

French authorities have not commented on the recirculated video. The rise in security at religious sites follows the 2019 Notre Dame fire and a suspected arson at Quebec’s Notre Dame Cathedral in October 2024. President Emmanuel Macron‘s recent advocacy for Palestinian statehood and interactions with Syrian leaders have sparked speculation regarding political motivations behind the threats. However, no evidence currently supports direct connections to this specific video.