An Iraqi Christian refugee living in France has been killed in a knife attack, raising concerns about growing hostility toward Christians in Europe.
Ashur Sarnaya, 45, originally from Ankawa in Iraqi Kurdistan, had lived in France since 2014. A wheelchair user, he was known for sharing his Christian faith through his TikTok account, Ashur.love, which had more than 16,000 followers.
On the evening of 10 September, Sarnaya was stabbed in the neck. Despite managing to post a video of himself covered in blood, emergency services were unable to save him after he went into cardiac arrest. Police have not yet identified the attacker or confirmed whether the crime was religiously motivated.
Earlier this year, Sarnaya had reported being assaulted and receiving threatening messages linked to his online posts. Friends and church leaders described him as a kind, devout man who regularly attended Saint-Ephrem parish in Lyon. Georges Shamoun Ishaq, President of the Assyrian-Chaldean Association of Lyon, said he was “deeply religious and liked to talk about the Christian faith.”
Family members said he died doing what he loved: speaking about Christ. One relative described him as a martyr, saying his witness will remain an inspiration.
The case comes amid wider concern about anti-Christian violence in France. In recent years, several high-profile attacks have targeted believers, including the 2016 murder of Father Jacques Hamel and the 2020 killings at the Notre-Dame Basilica in Nice. Churches across the country have also faced frequent vandalism and graffiti.
The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians has called for stronger measures to address growing hostility against Christians across Europe.
