He closed the doors of the Grand Mosque of Paris on March 13. Since then, its new rector, Chems-eddine Hafiz, has been multiplying the messages for believers and trying to maintain the spiritual link with the faithful. As Ramadan begins this Friday, he calls on Muslims to make some sacrifices to respect containment.
The Great Mosque has closed for over a month. How have you organized since then?
CHEMS-EDDINE HAFIZ. Since the closure of the mosque, I have set up a hotline where the imams of the Grand Mosque of Paris take turns, to provide advice. We work like amateurs, we can't do more. I also agreed with community radios to broadcast preaches for Friday prayers to maintain the spiritual connection. I also developed a webcam system where I make videos.
Ramadan begins this Friday. Without a mosque, the daily life of thousands of Muslims will be turned upside down ...
Even if it is normally a festive, very convivial period where families meet, do not let your guard down and respect the barrier gestures. The rules are clear, we do not organize collective iftar (note: breaking fast meal) , no family reunion. Since the mosques are closed, I invite everyone to pray at home. I ask the Muslims who usually go out to kill time, not to go to the markets, or to go buy oriental pastries. The outings must be short and above all avoid crowds.
This represents a heavy sacrifice for some Muslims
Ramadan is one of the pillars that is most respected because it is very social. Do not break the fast with your family it is true that it will be the most difficult of habits to take. In some buildings, some invite neighbors, even non-Muslims. But it is better to preserve our elders to live this Ramadan together with them next year, than to risk losing them.
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Is this a recommendation that you particularly address to young people?
Yes, because for some they work all day, like the delivery men. And in the evening, they want to eat a good soup at their mother's, but it's too risky. You have to raise awareness, make people feel.
Is the situation likely to be complicated for the most deprived people?
We are working on it, in particular on the distribution of food in homes. I ask all Muslims to show solidarity. Social distancing does not mean moving away! On the contrary, while respecting the rules, we must not forget the needy.
What will you offer for the faithful during this month?
Thanks to Radio Orient, each day of Ramadan, for 45 minutes, a cultural component will be broadcast with sermons, and a cultural aspect also with several speakers with a program on Muslim scholars, a professor of medicine at the Paris Mosque, who will give advice, and finally a woman, a professor at the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations (Inalco) who will talk about mysticism.
