Muslims across France joined together attended Catholic Mass, as a gesture of interfaith solidarity over murder attack to an 85-year-old priest, Rev. Jacques Hamel.
Jacqueline Prevot called it ‘magnificent gesture’ as she was interviewed outside the cathedral.
“Look at this whole Muslim community that attended Mass,” she said. “I find this very heartwarming.” Daily Mail reports.
Muslim women in headscarves and Jewish men in kippot have been crowded the front rows of Catholic cathedrals in Lille, Calais or the Basilica of St. Denis, the traditional resting place of French royalty, as the French Television broadcasts those scenes of interfaith solidarity from all around France.
Muslims in Italy also attended Mass, where three imams sat in the front row at Santa Maria Trastevere church in Rome.
“Mosques are not a place in which fanatics become radicalised,” said Mohammed ben Mohammed, member of the Union of Islamic Communities in Italy.
“Mosques do the opposite of terrorism: they diffuse peace and dialogue.” he added.
CFCM, the France’s Muslim council urged muslims to show ‘solidarity and compassion’ over the murder.
“We are all Catholics of France,” said Anouar Kbibech, head of CFCM.
Catholic mass services were held in Rouen as well as in Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral.
“We’re very touched,” Dominique Lebrun, Archbishop of Rouen told BFMTV.
“It’s an important gesture of fraternity. They’ve told us, and I think they’re sincere, that it’s not Islam which killed Jacques Hamel.” he added.
“Today we wanted to show physically, by kissing the family of Jacques Hamel. by kissing His Grace Lebrun in front of everybody, so they know that the two communities are united.” said Mohammed Karabila, President of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray Mosque, said in Rouen.
It was remembered that Father Hamel killed by Adel Kermiche and Abdel Malik Petitjean cut his throat and held other churchgoers hostage. They were later shot dead by police outside the church.
RSS