Muslims In The Pews

"In a gesture of solidarity following the gruesome killing of a French priest, Muslims on Sunday[, July 31, 2016,] attended Catholic Mass in churches and cathedrals across France and Italy." [1]  "Close to 2,000 reportedly attended Mass at [the] Cathedral [in Rouen:]" [2]



"Some 50 Muslims had already joined 350 Catholics at a vigil in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray's second church on Saturday night." [3]

"A service was also held at the Saint-Pierre-de-l'Ariane church in a mainly immigrant area of Nice. Earlier in July, 84 people died in an IS-inspired attack in Nice, when a lorry was driven into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day." [4]  Below are two photos, one showing "[a] Catholic monk talk[ing] with a Muslim worshiper in front of Saint-Pierre-de-lAriane Church [on] Sunday in Nice, France" and another showing "[a] Catholic monk welcom[ing] Muslim worshipers in Saint-Pierre-de-l'Ariane Church before Mass:" [5]





In Paris, at the Basilique Cathédrale de Saint-Denis, a Muslim woman attended Mass: [6]



In Rome, "Imam Sami Salem (L) and Imam Mohammed ben Mohammed [stood] before Mass:" [7]



At the Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere, Rome (below [8]), the Muslim men remained seated while the rest stood when the priest was swinging the thurible "during a multifaith service Sunday organized by Italy's Islamic Religious Community" [9] :



The showing of solidarity by the Muslim community in France and Italy by being at Mass on Sunday was a moving gesture.  Whether the Muslims knew when to stand, kneel and sit during the celebration was unimportant and irrelevant.  Their presence told the world that mosque-attending Muslims and church-going Catholics (and those belonging to other Christian denominations and other religions) can co-exist in peace.  "'Mosques are not a place in which fanatics become radicalised,' said Mohammed ben Mohammed, a member of the Union of Islamic Communities in Italy. 'Mosques do the opposite of terrorism: they diffuse peace and dialogue.'" [10]  Sadly, those belonging to ISIL are not paying attention.

Sunday's images and words across France and Italy were probably not seen and heard by the still-impressionable young men and boys who are being trained in terrorist camps and the already-hardened ones simply do not care.


[1] http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/muslims-go-catholic-mass-across-france-italy-show-solidarity-n620521
[2] http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36936658
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/muslims-go-catholic-mass-across-france-italy-show-solidarity-n620521
[6] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/muslims-catholic-mass-france_us_579e3c67e4b0e2e15eb63576
[7] http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36936658
[8] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/muslims-catholic-mass-france_us_579e3c67e4b0e2e15eb63576
[9] http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/muslims-go-catholic-mass-across-france-italy-show-solidarity-n620521
[10] http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36936658