"Do you want a shot of freezing?"
"Difficult to escape the health context for the Muslim faithful who approach the month of Ramadan on Tuesday.
At the mosque of Montfermeil (Seine-Saint-Denis), the big Friday prayer, organized for the first time since the second confinement in November, served as a rehearsal to welcome believers in the best conditions.
This weekly meeting will be the main rallying point, while the morning prayer and, above all, the night prayer, the main moment of gathering of the community during this period, will be relegated… by videoconference on Facebook, curfew obliges.
"We will also organize small conferences at 6 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to hold the last hours of the day and explain how to make the night vigil, explains Farid Kachour, the vice-president of this mosque of Seine-Saint-Denis .
Usually, Ramadan is an opportunity to come to the mosque and reconnect with people you don't see the rest of the year.
It's a month where we do a
reset
, recharge the batteries and start from scratch.
"
A fast from 5:45 a.m. to 8:42 p.m.
Before the Covid, the place of worship hosted two prayers and nearly 1,300 people in total every Friday.
With the red and white ribbon that crosses every other row and the white adhesive crosses on the green carpets that ensure the gap between the faithful, the prayer rooms of this pavilion, refurbished and enlarged by a capital, no longer receive a hundred practitioners at a time.
Three or four services will be celebrated every Friday at midday.
“Here is the month of Ramadan which has come, already preached the imam at the end of last week.
During this month the gates of heaven are open and the gates of hell are closed.
At the exit, one of the many volunteers present distributed the timetable, announcing a fast from 5:45 am to 8:42 pm for Tuesday, inaugural day.
On their arrival for prayer, the faithful receive hydro-alcoholic gel.
LP / Olivier Arandel
Every day until May 13, Muslims must refrain from eating, drinking and having sex during the day.
Iftar, the celebration of breaking the fast, is bound to be impoverished as well.
“It's a moment of sharing, where we invite brothers, sisters, parents, where the children's friends come to the house,” explains Mustapha, a father of five from Chelles (Seine-et-Marne).
We will not do it this year and we will stay between us.
But in Ramadan, there is above all a spiritual and sharing aspect.
You cannot be a believer if your neighbor is hungry.
"
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"
Amara, mother of five children aged 13 to 27, is also disappointed… despite a certain saving of work: “Ramadan, we love it.
This is the only time of the year when the seven of us can meet at the table for the breaking of the fast.
Usually, with the guests, there are rarely less than ten and I cook for everyone.
I like it, I wait for it all year round.
I don't go to the mosque for evening prayers, because I look after the children.
We can do this prayer together, but I will miss knowing that my husband cannot go, because it is important religiously for our family.
Despite the context, we will try to make this month rich on a spiritual level, thinking even more of those in need.
"
Before the Covid, the mosque organized large shared meals every evening.
“Anyone who was hungry would come, regardless of their faith,” says Farid Kachour.
Instead, the community is increasing food distributions in this underprivileged suburb: “We delivered 11,000 meals to Jean-François, Daniel and Mohamed.
We even worked with the Samu social and received a state subsidy.
This shows that we are able to overcome our divisions.
It is in this direction that we must go.
As in the first confinement, the mosque will distribute nearly 200 "Iftar boxes" each day, containing a soup, a dish, a dessert, a drink, dates and an oriental pastry.
"Friendliness will miss me"
At the head of the kitchen, Mamadou Bathily, a retired chef who will take over the kitchen of a “Greek” located next door.
“It takes the day, from 8 am to 5 pm,” explains the 73-year-old man, disinfecting the prayer rugs lent to believers with a spray bottle.
It gives me pleasure to help, we know that it is reciprocal, that it is God who gives.
The imam said that one should not only pray but also do good for others.
"For this widowed man, who lives with his deaf daughter, the cocoon of the community is also" a moral support ", especially at this time.
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The debates and controversies that accompany the charter of Islam or the separatism law are far from the concerns of many grassroots faithful.
"I'm not too interested in all of this," admits Souleymane Coulibaly, a 32-year-old computer engineer.
I turn to Ramadan, which is an act of worship in its own right.
It will be special, because I will miss the friendliness.
Islam is a religion of solidarity and there is not the same cohesion when we have to stay in our own corner.
We will respect the instructions, remaining alone with my wife and my son.
I will do the night prayer on my own.
"
Ramadan is also the main period of generosity of the faithful and the lack of gathering has a cost that is measured three streets away, on the site of the mosque, the financing of which should have been completed this year.
Good news for believers, the cupola of the spacious and modern building is due to be put up this week.