This sign of inter-religious friendship is rooted in the Medieval tradition and reflects the city of Lyon's links to its large Muslim population. But a widely publicized outcry from a tiny extreme-right group has forced the Archdiocese of Lyon into damage control.
"This has nothing to do with religion. It's a sculptor who wants to pay homage to a construction site chief," said the Rev. Michel Cacaud, rector of the cathedral. "That's all."
In France, where Islam is the country's second religion, the government has worked to get Muslims to integrate into French culture, while at the same time confronting cases of Islamophobia, from the desecration of Muslim graves to attacks on mosques.
Ahmed Benzizine, a practicing Muslim born in Algeria, a former French colony, sees the gargoyle in his image as "a message of peace and tolerance."
"When I started to work in churches ... exactly 37 years ago, it was considered a sin that a Muslim enter a place of worship other than a mosque," he said.
He has worked off and on since 1973 at Saint Jean Cathedral, which dominates the old city of Lyon and has been honored as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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