Jihadists may not have set the fire, but they’re certainly celebrating it. Many Muslims believe that the ruins and destruction of non-Muslim structures testifies to the truth of Islam, as the Qur’an suggests that the destroyed remnants of ancient non-Muslim civilizations are a sign of Allah’s punishment of those who rejected his truth: “Many were the Ways of Life that have passed away before you: travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those who rejected Truth.” (3:137)

“‘ALLAH EST GRAND’: Muslims laugh as blaze destroys Notre Dame cathedral during Holy Week,” by Kyle Olson, American Mirror, April 15, 2019 (thanks to the Geller Report):