2023-10-13 05:33:20
The French Council of Muslim Worship has launched an appeal to all mosque leaders and all imams, asking them, for this Friday prayer, to be extra vigilant.
“Nothing justifies, even if the cause is just and noble, nothing justifies the massacre of innocent people. Islam cannot accept the massacre of children or the elderly” reacted Friday October 13 on franceinfo Tareq Oubrou, rector and imam of the Bordeaux mosque after the Hamas attack against Israel.
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The French Council of Muslim Worship launched an appeal on Thursday October 12 to all mosque leaders and all imams, asking them, for this Friday prayer, to redouble their vigilance while several gatherings took place in France to support the Palestinian cause. “Muslims should not identify with this organization. The Palestinian people are not Hamas. So, we must exercise discernment”he continued.
Furthermore, he called on the Muslims and Jews of France to “ensure that things calm down between these two communities which are massively present in France”because he fears “see some people committing despicable acts”.
franceinfo: Will the imams try to reduce tension during Friday prayers?
Tareq Oubrou : It is an opportunity to recall the founding values of Islam which are peace and justice, especially in a moment of great emotion. Whatever the legitimacy of this emotion, we must exercise discernment and not confuse repertoires. What happened on October 7 was an act that shocked and surprised everyone, including many Muslims. Nothing justifies, even if the cause is just and noble, nothing justifies the massacre of innocent people. Islam cannot accept the massacre of children or the elderly. Not only is this contrary to international law, it is contrary to Muslim canon law. The prophet forbade the massacre of children, women, and old people. There is a right to war, even in Islam.
Hamas, in this regard, is at odds with the values it holds, that is to say Islam. Islamic must be removed from their title.
“We cannot take from Islam what suits us and abandon what bothers us. Muslims must not identify with this organization. The Palestinian people are not Hamas. We must exercise discernment.”
Tariq Oubrou, imam of the Bordeaux mosque,
at franceinfo
Do you not hesitate to talk about terrorism?
Unfortunately, injustice breeds injustice. 70 years of humiliation and oppression provoke this kind of slippage, crime and terrorism. To explain does not mean to justify, but to explain the phenomenon in order to be able to propose solutions. Until there is peace and justice in this region, unfortunately, the war will continue all the time.
Do you support Emmanuel Macron who calls for harmony between all French people?
We are all French. There is the principle of republican fraternity that we must share beyond our philosophical and religious options. We must maintain a very strong value of fraternity. There are Jews, there are Muslims. Muslims must not identify with a cause that is not necessarily theirs.
The Jews of France must also take into consideration this French dimension and ensure that things calm down between these two communities which are massively present in France, which are two large communities in France. You have to be very, very careful. Imams and rabbis must call for reason and discernment. We live under the dome of the Republic, of secularism. We must strengthen our republican ties and our citizen ties.
Do you fear the repercussions in France of the conflict between Hamas and Israel?
It’s inevitable. We are in an emotional, irrational moment. There will certainly be slip-ups, mourning, hatred. There is already hatred unfolding on social networks, unfortunately. I do not hide my fear of seeing certain people commit despicable acts.
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