Is it not proof of secularism to have wanted to debate the establishment of a mosque in Nice? That’s what one might have naively hoped for. But too naively. This debate, initially initiated by the Senator-Mayor of Nice, Jacques Peyrat, and the Regional Council of Muslim Worship, unfortunately transformed despite our intentions. Perhaps due to inexperience, others might say due to clumsiness. Let’s try to refocus on the topic.
Unfortunately, this issue was hijacked by certain websites calling on their forum users to vote en masse. Thus, the vote no longer represents the opinions of the people of Nice. It has become a struggle of extremist ideology, a battle to hold the truth. Our site, for a weekend, was, in a way, the ground of a religious war. Nice-premiere is a space of tolerance where hateful and xenophobic, Islamophobic, Islamist, and Christianophobic remarks cannot be admitted. Everyone can freely express themselves but must respect others. Many messages were even criminally condemnable, messages that nice-premiere refuses to relay.
Returning to political reactions: They are unanimous about the validity of establishing a mosque in Nice in the name of freedom of worship. While Jean-Christophe Picard (PRG) reminds us that we are about to celebrate the centenary of the separation of the Church and the State, Auguste Vรฉrola, deputy for religious affairs in Nice (UMP), states that allowing all French people to pray falls within a legal framework. The Senator-Mayor Jacques Peyrat, by organizing a roundtable discussion last Saturday with representatives from the “citรฉs” of Nice, wanted to make a symbolic gesture for the moment. It won’t remain symbolic if, in the coming weeks, he visits the suburbs as he has promised, to continue the dialogue initiated the day before yesterday.
This is a strong signal to curb community withdrawal. Auguste Vรฉrola demanded that everyone sit around a table. We are in the entrance hall. Introductions have been made despite the tensions. The table is set. It will be necessary for the guests to agree to sit down so that a solution can be found for Muslims to pray under the same conditions as believers of other religions.
The big question remains as to when these discussions will start concretely? The debate remains open… What are the keys to it? First of all, who should fund it? The risk is that the Niรงois mosque could be built with funds subject to controversy. The developer, Abdelhamid Razzouk, the president of the Moubarak association and member of the Regional Council for Muslim Worship, will have to expect to prove his integrity. Irreproachability will be necessary to nullify the speeches of the opponents.
The hardest part will then be to find the location. It’s not obvious. The people of Nice are not predominantly in favor of establishing a mosque. Often out of ignorance of Islam. Out of fear as well. It will be up to Jacques Peyrat to convince his voters after having convinced himself. Provided that tensions are eased so that decisions can be made in a calm republican, democratic, and civic manner.
Vincent Trinquat
