Wednesday, July 27, 2016

In Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, serenity between Christians and Muslims undermined – The World

Le Monde | • Updated | By

Saint-Etienne du Rouvray, near Rouen, July  26, after the murder of Father Hamel in his  church.

Most of the attack of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray

  • the assistant parish priest of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray (Seine-Maritime), Jacques Hamel, died murdered, Tuesday, July 26, during a hostage-taking in his church.
  • the two authors of this murder were killed by the men of the research and intervention brigade (BRI) of Rouen.
  • the organization Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack by his Aamaq communication device.
  • the anti-terrorist section of the Paris parquet was seized in flagrante delicto investigation entrusted to the Anti-terrorism sub-Directorate (SDAT) and the Directorate General of internal security (RPS).

There are two churches, Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray (Seine-Maritime). The discreet, beige stucco, located roadside since 1950 near a public housing neighborhood. The other, any old stone, the nave XVI th century, whose bell tower overlooks a pretty square, the former heart of the village. History symbol? It is in the second Kermiche Adel and his accomplice murdered on Tuesday July 26 morning, the old priest Jacques Hamel. But this is the first where the auxiliary priest of 86 years also officiated, and whose characteristic is to be backed by a mosque frequented by Adel Kermiche, who epitomizes what Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray and its 28,000 people do not want to become: a nest of mistrust between communities, as in Nice, where the attack took place July 14

Read also:. assassination of St. Stephen -du-Rouvray: Adel Kermiche between mental disorders and jihadist madness

Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, nobody would have imagined in effect one day catch up hatreds that bad this suburban red the Rouen area. Even after the tragedy, few people not to say those words that seem hackneyed elsewhere: “harmony,” “peace,” “calm” … We need to listen to Annie and Jean-Claude Geslin, a retired couple came to pay tribute to father Hamel. In front of City Hall, where wreaths and words of hope accumulate, they rave about their lives “always” in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray . And they have only fear in this summer afternoon, is to lose this local trademark in their eyes: the “living together”

.

Read also: Attack of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray: father Hamel was a proponent of interfaith dialogue

the FN in ambush

Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, near Rouen, on 26  July.

It also means Eulalia Garcia, beautician just 20 years, hired in the beauty salon of his mother, located on the edge of perimeter cordoned off by police. Catholic, not a practitioner, she was baptized by Hamel father. It also made his communion with him. It is “upset” because it “is said that the attacks can happen anywhere now, even in a city like [their] where everything seemed to go rather well. “

Historically, during Eid, when the crowd is too large, the church opens its portal

Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, in the rows of anonymous flats, maisonettes aisles red brick or modern residences with two floors, one lives left bank of the Seine with a rate of unemployment increasingly overwhelming (21% according to the latest indicators). But if there is a symbol that everyone was proud until the attack against the Hamel father, it is this Yahia mosque, built it a few years ago on land transferred for a symbolic 1 euro the sisters of the parish. An event at the time, lived as a real victory of the “interfaith dialogue” local.

lost visitor, the Parish of St. Theresa indeed offers a rare face. Located 3 kilometers from the site of the attack, there are a church and a mosque built on the same plot, just separated from the other by a fence. Long, the Muslims of the nearby small town of Château Blanc prayed in unsafe play, too narrow, too dark. But the good will of the sisters, very active in the area, allowed to address it. Even today, the Muslim faithful are parked in the parking lot of Santa Teresa to pray. Historically, during Eid, when the crowd is too large, the church opened its gate, and the lawn is invested by outside remained faithful. Through a common association, volunteers may even share homework help and cultural activities for children

Read also:. At WYD, the Catholic Church between terror, tears and prayers

If the National Front (FN) is in wait in the Rouen region, winning every year a little more ground, it does not really taking in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray. “The low property prices sometimes allow in a generation for newcomers to jump the tenant check the owner” provides Fatima El Khili, deputy housing the town of Rouen native of the district, seeing it ease of integration. “We talk more delinquency radicalization” provides his side Moba Gabriel, of Congolese origin, in charge of the church choir, council member and educator to the protection of youth.

ceremony outside City Hall with the aedile,  Hubert Wulfranc (white shirt and glasses),  Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, on 26 July.

Faced with this rise of the FN, few, North African or Muslim side, to show further signs of concern, as is the case in Nice. “Sometimes, I have trouble with the local police for identity checks, I desire to fight, and then I calm down,” testifies Mohamed (who wanted to remain anonymous), 29, a worker in the building the day, delivery of dinners, inhabitant of Château Blanc.

“Here it is cool, everyone can do jogging as he wants, girls can do in slinky dress, veiled or if they feel like, everyone lives as he wishes, shows the great athletic brown. They want what Daech [Arabic acronym for the Islamic State], remake a war crusaders? “

Side Muslim organizations, the President of the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM), Anwar Kbibech, joined by Le Monde , to local officials Rouen, it ensured that the agglomeration was not an area particularly exposed to community tensions or problems of radicalization. Drift Hauchard Maxime, this converted today in Syria, who frequented a mosque in Elbeuf (Seine-Maritime), believed to have beheaded at least a Syrian military in a propaganda video released in fall 2014, is considered a marginal phenomenon. While a small group of young people have been spotted in his wake.



“Sort the wheat from the chaff”

Locally, by cons, Rouen as elsewhere, Muslim leaders are divided on leadership. There are about thirty places of worship affiliates in Normandy. But the president of the Regional Council of the Muslim Faith was elected without the votes of the main local association, which brings together the biggest stronghold of followers, the Union of Muslims of Rouen. An association affiliated to the Union of Islamic Organisations of France, close to the Muslim Brotherhood. A Salafist movement has suddenly become important in the wake of these divisions, especially among young adults, but do not have an official place of worship.

religious affinities freely displayed this July 26 the evening in the Château Blanc neighborhood, or out of the prayer of Yahia mosque. “Never a Salafist not allow bloodshed of an innocent,” explain two youth aged 24 and 29, bearded, djellaba, refusing to shake hands, and saying adhere to ideas of Salafiyya. Kermiche Adel, one of the church’s two assailants who had a prison passage, was able to attend the mosque at times, they recognize. But it should not have been able to come freely, his ideas are known to all, according to them. “The leaders of the mosque should ask young people who know, because after, instead of sorting the wheat from the chaff, it puts everyone in the same bag,” arguent- they in critical veiled.

One of those most affected by the end of this haven Rouen is unexpected. A kilometer of the drama live Latifa Ibn Ziaten, the mother of one of the soldiers killed by Mohamed Merah in 2012. Very involved, she always campaigned for “so that there is more to Mohamed Merah” and especially not in Rouen. Familiar prison visits as a volunteer to fight against hate speech, it was poised to sign an agreement with the prison administration to develop this way supervised activity.

Read also: the opposition wants tougher laws against terrorism

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