French Interior Minister Defends Muslim Community at WWI Memorial Ceremony

"To all the promoters of hatred, I have only one message to convey: come here and see the reality of the commitment of Muslim soldiers [...]. Hatred, rejection and amalgams are insults to the Republic, insults to our History, insults to the memory of all those who fought for our country."

This is how Christophe Castaner, Minister of the Interior in charge of Religions, expressed himself at the Grand Mosque of Paris. He also noted that for too long, some have seized on the worst atrocities to make the worst amalgams.

Similarly, some confuse political designs where religion is a pretext, and the sincere faith, lived by the vast majority of French Muslims, he added.

To the descendants of these soldiers, to all the youth of France, in search of heroes and benchmarks, Christophe Castaner asked to be proud of the Muslim fighters. "You hold among these fighters models of service, dedication and courage," he told them.

This statement by the Minister of the Interior comes in a context marked by the rise of Islamophobia in France, the return of the debate on the wearing of the veil and the recent terrorist attacks.

On Sunday, November 10, a demonstration will be held in Paris to say "STOP to Islamophobia" and to the "growing stigmatization" of Muslims.