At the Beuvrages mosque, the Muslims react: “If you don’t like France and its culture, you go!” “

Yahia Zenasni and Yazid Amara are waiting for me in the Beuvrages mosque, located in front of the railway line, next to the waste reception center. From outside, we hear the singing of the children who are in class. Yahia and Yazid invite me to follow them, barefooted, into this vast room covered with a green carpet and blue mosaics on the walls. A place of prayer open to all, ” even to non-Muslims“, They say. They are responsible for mission in this mosque which has welcomed up to 1,200 worshipers during major Muslim festivals for almost 40 years. ” Here, it’s a place to live, a bit like a social center. Then Yazid reads me the message that the president of the mosque, Ali Zenasni, wrote after the attack on Samuel Paty last Friday: ” It is an act of absolute horror that we wholeheartedly condemn, which runs counter to our values. (…) Together, let us continue to build this hope for a more united, more united and even more fraternal world. As every time a terrorist act has been committed in recent years, by a criminal claiming to act in the name of Islam, the entire Muslim community is unfairly hit in the heart and forced to systematically remind people that it is has nothing to do with these isolated acts.

How do you feel after this drama?

I have two anger: one concerns the assassination of this professor who did not ask for anything. He respected all the rules of the National Education program. He wanted to demonstrate what freedom of expression is. Despite his repeated requests to the National Education, he was not protected, he was abandoned. My second anger relates to the way in which the Government and the media have singled out the Muslim community. I felt assaulted, insulted, abused as a Muslim. This young man acted on his behalf. It is an isolated incident. Why should we Muslims be responsible for what he did? I’m 56 years old, and I’ve never hurt anyone. You can’t hurt a fly. We respect the values ​​of the Republic. If I had witnessed this scene, I would have done everything to protect Samuel Paty, because it is the Muslim’s duty to save a life and not to take it back. Most of us would have done this. I was born in France, I grew up in France, I studied there from kindergarten to university. And it hurts me when you combine terrorism and Islamism.

Islam is a religion of peace and respect. How do you explain that some, who commit crimes in the name of Islam, may have a different interpretation?

We are 2 billion Muslims on the planet. Radicals represent a minority. We reject them and condemn them. There were some in this mosque, they were kicked out. Whoever claims to be a Muslim must know what humanity is. The golden rule in Islam is that everything is flexible, nothing is rigid. Terrorists have an oversized ego. He who does not have mercy on his neighbor is not worthy of being a Muslim. From this mercy flows forgiveness, mutual aid, solidarity, understanding. This is what brings us together despite our differences. Respect for each other is the point of intercession.

Do Muslims feel a form of weariness in the face of these events and their consequences?

We are tired. Terrorism has no religion. I feel assaulted in my dignity as a Muslim. Whoever did this is not a Muslim. We are peaceful people. And most of us live in perfect harmony with other religious communities. Moreover, the priests and certain intellectuals support us.

How to fight against these
ultra-violent behavior?

Many are unfamiliar with religions. Places of worship are good for young people. The sermons are only peace and love. The danger lies in ignorance. Islam says that whoever kills one person kills all of humanity. Education is the absolute weapon.

Does showing caricatures of the Prophet in class shock you?

God is sacred. Our religion forbids us to caricature the prophets. On the other hand, I live in a country which allows caricature and this form of humor, so I accept it. Either we adapt, or we go elsewhere. The one who is not happy, he takes his suitcase and leaves. If you don’t like France, don’t come and do damage in the name of Islam. Me, here, I am well, everything pleases me. We love this France, the one who brought us up. Our life is here. P. B.

–