Nice attack: the emotion of Muslims in France
Nice, October 29, after the attack on the Notre Dame basilica.
REUTERS / Eric Gaillard / Pool
Text by: RFI Follow
7 min
The Nice attack caused deep emotion in France.
And the reactions of the Muslim community were not expected after the triple assassination of the Notre Dame basilica in Nice committed Thursday morning.
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Mohamed Moussaoui, the president of the CFCM (the French Council of Muslim Worship) quickly and very vigorously condemned this attack and, as a sign of mourning and solidarity with the families of the victims and the Catholics of France, on Thursday called on Muslims to cancel all the festivities of the Mawlid which commemorate the birth of the prophet.
Muslims in mourning after the terrorist attack which targeted the faithful of the Notre-Dame basilica in Nice.
- CFCM https://t.co/0obN8sGhcr
CFCM (@CfcmOfficiel) October 29, 2020
Do not "
mix everything
"
In Nice itself, in the calm and cosmopolitan district of Notre Dame basilica, where many Muslims live, some are worried about the repercussions that this attack could have on the Muslim community.
Just behind the Basilica of Nice, there is a row of halal butchers, grocery stores and North African vegetables.
Leila and her husband are of Tunisian origin and they have been running a bakery in this area for 35 years.
Leïla feels betrayed, "
we don't have the right to kill, to take the life of a mother,
" she said, referring to one of the
victims of the Nice attack
.
After the attack on Thursday morning, they say they are angry with "the one who did that", and sad for the families of the victims.
Among the Muslims of Nice, it is consternation, listen to the report of our special correspondent, Pierre Olivier
RFI
Leïla also fears that the proliferation of this kind of act will divide society and stigmatize Muslims.
She tells us about this scene that she lived just after the attack: in the tram, there are people looking at us askance.
A gentleman sat down next to me and a lady who asked if he was not afraid of being slaughtered ... "
We mix everything up
", laments Leïla.
At the Great Mosque of Paris
The same reactions of incomprehension were gathered yesterday at the Grand Mosque in Paris.
The devotees come out of prayer - there are older men, young women wearing the veil, students, old ladies.
Listen to the testimonies collected at the Great Mosque of Paris by Christine Siebert
RFI
"
Deep sadness
"
Same dismay at
Saphirnews
, the online daily newspaper of the Muslim fact.
"
We are deeply sad about what happened, we are completely dismayed,
testifies its director, Mohamed Colin, joined by Geneviève Delrue.
And we are extremely united with the Catholics of France.
And we know very well that Muslims in France have a lot of links with Catholics. There is solidarity between these two communities.
Interfaith dialogue is extremely rich, both nationally and locally.
There are many mosques of imams which organize debates with the help of priests.
We tried, through this act - we are trying, precisely - to destroy this type of symbol and actions that work
”.
►
To read also
: The assailant of Nice, a Tunisian migrant of 21 years, was unknown to the services
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