The murder of a faithful in a mosque in southeastern France has accentuated tensions in the multicultural gala society. And he has put … In the center of the political debate an enquisted problem: racism against Muslim people. To the point that he has caused internal discrepancies in the government, especially among the prime minister, the centrist François Bayrou, and the head of Interior, the conservative Bruno Retailleau, about the convenience of talking about “Islamophobia.”
The controversy has emerged following the murder on April 25 of Abubakar Cissé, 21 years old and Malian nationality, while praying in a mosque in the Grand-Combe, a town in the southeast of the Gallic territory. The author of that homicide is called Olivier H. and it is a Gallic of the same age, with bosnian roots and without criminal record. After three days escaped, on Monday he gave himself to the police in Italy and on Wednesday he accepted that he was extradited to France.
Although he ended his victim’s life with great brutality -he stabbed by surprise until forty times -the event happened in the beginning rather unnoticed in the French media. No government member echoed the events on Friday that occurred, the day the country was still moved by the brutal murder on the eve of a 15 -year -old teenager, by an institute partner fascinated by Hitler. The controversy was accentuated, however, as of Saturday, when a video was recorded in which the murderer was boasted exclaiming «You would shit! Your shit allah! ”, In addition to expressing his desire to become a serial killer.
Criticism of Minister Retailleau
Retailleau, who had generated controversy in March by saying in a rally “Down with the Islamic veil!”, He finally moved to the place of the events on Sunday to express his support to the relatives of Aboubakar Cissé, as well as the faithful of that temple. Bayrou had denounced the “Islamophobic ignominy.” Although the Italian homicide lawyer defended that his client “has nothing against Islam and mosques,” the French prosecutor investigates the event as a premeditated murder and with a racist or religious mobile. But he does not consider it a terrorist act.
The controversy went from Saturday, when it transcended a video in which the murderer shouted “Tu Allah of shit!” and expressed his desire to become a serial killer
The fact that the Anti -Terror Prosecutor’s Office did not assume the investigation and that Retilleau, whose portfolio has the powers of the places of worship, would take two days to react not only outraged the relatives of the victim, but also to numerous members of the Muslim minority and the leftist opposition, which organized a protest on Sunday in Paris. They consider that the authorities had acted more quickly and forcefully if similar murder had occurred in a synagogue or church.
In addition to the foreseeable reprimands by deputies of the Greens or the France Insumisa (related to adding or Podemos) asking for the resignation of the Interior Minister -one of the most popular members of the Executive and aspiring to become the new leader of the traditional right -, more significant have resulted in criticism by macronist deputies or outstanding representatives of the Muslim community. “I hope that Retailleau (…) takes into account the word of Muslims, who are not second citizens,” said Chems-Eddine Hafiz, rector of the Great Mosque of Paris.
79
acts of racism
Against Arab or Maghreb people detected the French authorities between January and March of this year in the country, which represents 72% more incidents than in the same period of 2024. Experts, however, believe that the figure could be much higher since many victims do not report.
«When someone commits an anti -Semitic crime, the Republic knows how to speak in one voice and that honors her. But when an Islamophobic crime is committed, words are scarce, compassion becomes discreet and relativized horror, ”he denounced this same magnet in a tribune published Wednesday in the French newspaper ‘Le Monde’. The controversy for the death of the young Malian has taken place amid an increase in the country of racism against Maghreb or Arab people. Some 79 acts of this type were detected by the authorities between January and March of this year, which represents 72% more than during the same period of 2024.
However, experts consider that this phenomenon is underestimated, since most people who suffer from it do not usually report it. For this reason, the Gallic State supports an association that prepares a platform so that they can denounce this type of situations. In this way, he wants to fight the impunity and distrust of a part of the French Muslims.
