Controversy in Nice Schools: Children’s Game Mistaken for Muslim Prayer, Grandmother Claims

The grandmother of one of the students involved, speaking on the microphone of BFM Nice Côte d’Azur, said that her grandson and the other students "were playing and imitating prayer," adding that there was "no intention, no religion, it was really just a game." She also expressed her indignation at the stigmatization of the children, which she considers "harmful to everyone." The teacher, according to her, interrupted the game and explained to the students what they could or could not do.

This controversy led to the cancellation of the end-of-year fair in one of the schools. The grandmother revealed that "some parents whose children were part of the group, and who were of the Muslim faith, were afraid of having repercussions." She criticized the uproar around this affair, stating that "everything has been blown out of proportion, everything is taking on incredible proportions and this is detrimental to solidarity."

These facts had been described as "intolerable" by the Minister of National Education, Pap Ndiaye, who had promised to take all necessary measures to ensure secularism in schools.