Religion

Hassen Chalghoumi advocates for a French-style, moderate and republican Islam

Drancy (France), 24 Oct (EFE), (Camera: María Díaz Valderrama).- For some he is a national hero, for others, an opportunist and a traitor. Hassen Chalghoumi, president of the Conference of Imams of France, defends the government in its fight against Islamism and advocates in an interview with EFE for a french-style Islam, moderate and republican. FOOTAGE OF AND STATEMENTS BY IMAM HASSEN CHALGHOUMI IN THE DRANCY MOSQUE, OUTSIDE PARIS (FRANCE) Translation - Imam Hassen Chalghoumi: "There are accounts with pseudonyms that call for murder. Today there is one that urged to shoot against the mosque of Drancy, I have filed a complaint. We also need authority against that. I'm a free man and I love freedom, social networks, the media are a symbol of freedom, but there are limits and they must not be exceeded because lives are threatened. There are people who pay dearly for it, like this teacher who has paid for it with his life.""It's sad, yes, together with my imam friends, we've been working for fifteen years and we've warned about this (about fundamentalism in France), fifteen years that our lives are threatened, that we denounce, destroy my house, burn my car, death threats, aggressions against my wife, my children. Many things, it's not the time to talk about that, but it's the price we pay. Do you know why we do that? Because we love our religion, we love our prophet and we can't accept people who soil our religion, and we love France, and we're here to say that we love humanity and we reach out our hand. In this mosque we have received several times the great Rabbi of France, Rabbis, Priests, and the Bishop of Saint-Denis; it is an honor. The opening, the hand in front, is what they make us pay for."