On the occasion of the end of Ramadan, the members of the Gathering of Imams of the Alpes-Maritimes (RIAM) were received at the Villa Massena by Christian Estrosi and Philippe Pradal, mayor of Nice. Both took the opportunity to reiterate their support for the association, which they consider to be in line with the laws of the Republic.
Philippe Pradal introduced the session by stating that “the second religion of France (Islam) must be respected,” before yielding the floor to his predecessor, Christian Estrosi, who described the imams present as “pioneers.” For him, this association demonstrates “pedagogy, which is a tool of peace within our society.”
Reiterating the values of the Republic and particularly secularism: “There is no room in France for foreign funding of religions, whether it be Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism, or Islam,” he also took the opportunity to criticize the extreme right: “Fascists are puritans who try to seize souls. I want to move forward with you (the RIAM) on the path of respect, and I do not accept those who wish to tarnish your name. In Nice, a minority have chosen to oppose the community.”
His conclusion resonated with the rest of his speech. The RIAM allows Muslims to practice their faith in compliance with the rules of the Republic, “there are no longer any street prayers today, thanks to you.”
At the end of Ramadan, Othmane Aissaoui, president of the Union of Muslims of the Alpes-Maritimes (UMAM) and RIAM, first and foremost wanted to thank the support expressed by the mayor and the president of the region: “It was a very busy month for us. The sign from heaven came from you, from the presidency of the region and the town hall.”
He reminded that “for all of us, Muslims, Catholics, Jews, Protestants, atheists, the past year has been very difficult to endure.” Before clarifying the objectives of his association of which he is the president: “Here, our project is to establish a theological reference of Islam in France. To remain in a continuity that we started in 2007.”
He also strongly emphasized the fact that this association would remain “apolitical” and that no real pressure could hinder their work.
The conference concluded with an improvised Muslim prayer by the twenty imams present to wish everyone Eid Mabrouk.
Thibault Bourru
