Silent marches planned in France against Islamophobia

Several political organizations, civil society groups, researchers, academics, authors, and public figures have called for silent marches across France on Sunday, May 11. A national march is scheduled for the same day, starting from Place de l'Université and heading to Place de la République in Paris at 2 PM. In an op-ed, the signatories condemned the rise of Islamophobia in the country and called for a gathering to honor Aboubakar Cissé, who was killed at the Grand-Combe mosque on April 25, «because he was Muslim».

«This crime is not just an isolated incident. It is not the story of a settling of scores or a quarrel with a tragic end. It is the story of a country where one man decides to kill another, whom he does not know, simply because he prays in a mosque», the signatories wrote in their statement. For them, the perpetrator did not act alone, as «members of successive governments in France have continuously fueled Islamophobia and the double-digit scores of the National Rally». «The person who kills is responsible. But the one who commits a racist crime always does so in an atmosphere that encourages it», they added.

«It does not occur without the media obsession with Islam, from the vulgar talk shows on CNews to the refined court intellectuals who, under the guise of fighting fanaticism, daily spew their hatred of Arabs and Blacks», the authors of the appeal further emphasized, pointing to a legislative context built over twenty years. According to them, «those who have been fueling the Islamophobic climate for years now pretend to be moved by Aboubakar's fate».

To stand «against all forms of racism», the signatories have issued a call for «a large march across the country». Among them are the Collective Against Islamophobia in Europe (CCIE), the April 21 March against Racism, Islamophobia, and for the Protection of Children, Urgence Palestine, the Adama Committee, as well as Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Annie Ernaux, philosopher Frédéric Lordon, author Françoise Vergès, artist Blanche Gardin, and activist Michèle Sibony, a member of the French Jewish Union for Peace (UJFP).