Strasbourg’s Great Mosque Unites France in Historic Prayer for Republic

This solemn event brought together the highest local authorities, as well as representatives of European institutions and chancelleries based in Strasbourg, representatives of faiths, and leaders of Muslim associations. "O Allah, watch over and bless France and the French people," summarizes the prayer for the Republic delivered on Friday at the Great Mosque of Strasbourg, on the eve of the July 14th celebrations.

"Together, they embodied a united, diverse and fraternal France, strongly affirming their unwavering attachment to this great nation," the institution said in a statement. "In a world shaken by multiple crises - geopolitical, identity-based, spiritual - this moment of contemplation resonated as an act of faith in the future" and "transcended divisions to offer a response of stunning simplicity: union through prayer."

The occasion was used to present an exhibition on the commitment of Muslim soldiers to France in the 19th and 20th centuries. "To pray is to resist. It is a silent revolt against despair, a refusal to succumb to violence or the absurd. It is a heartfelt cry that proclaims: we were, we are and we will always be full-fledged citizens of France, bearers of its values of liberty, equality and fraternity," the note states.

The Great Mosque of Strasbourg is the first Muslim place of worship in Alsace-Moselle to deliver a prayer for the Republic on the occasion of July 14th. But it is only perpetuating an old tradition respected every eve of the National Holiday since the 19th century by the churches and synagogues of Alsace-Moselle. "This prayer carries a deep aspiration for peace and unity, testifying to the unwavering attachment of French Muslims to the French Republic," it is explained.

The prayer for the Republic will be recited every year at the Great Mosque of Strasbourg, on the occasion of July 14th, in order to remind that "in the face of the challenges of the time, France can count on its citizens, on their diversity and on their will to build, together, a future faithful to its ideals." It is a prayer for "that France remains this beacon of humanity, this refuge of justice, this crucible of fraternity," the note concludes.