Sarcelles, world city where dozens of nationalities live, where Jews, Muslims, Assyro-Chaldeans, Christians coexist, where community and religious life is very strong. Here, each community lives as in a village, with its gatherings, its strong social relationships, its solidarity.
“Whether in the Jewish, Muslim or Chaldean community, we live together, frequent the same people, the same shops, the same restaurants. Does this allow the virus to spread faster? Certainly. But it is a force, an asset, and it must remain so, ”insists Moïse Kahloun, president of the Jewish community of Sarcelles.
Four times more positive tests than in Ile-de-France
This singularity, unique in Ile-de-France, would it be a “weak point” at the time of the coronavirus? This is one of the hypotheses, studied by the epidemiologists of the regional health agency (ARS), to explain a number of positive tests almost four times higher than the rest of the region.
27 new cases have been detected in the last seven days, or 45 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, while the figures are 5.9 / 100,000 in Ile-de-France, where 90 clusters have been identified since then deconfinement (including 40 still active). Massive screenings are organized in the Lochères and Rosier-Chantepie districts of the commune, monitored "like milk on fire".
"They asked us to educate our faithful"
"The inhabitants should not panic, it is not so alarming. More information is needed ”, underlined, this Wednesday, the mayor (PS) Patrick Haddad. The elected official issued a decree this Friday, imposing the wearing of masks in all shops. “We want to understand the situation, to leave no blind spots. We are extremely vigilant at community and religious gatherings, with the resumption of offices in particular, ”said Aurélien Rousseau, director general of ARS. A "base camp" will be set up in the music conservatory, which will be closed to the public from Monday.
This Thursday morning, a meeting was organized by the ARS, the prefecture and the town hall of Sarcelles with the various representatives of the religious cults of the commune, to stress the importance of the barrier gestures and the wearing of the mask. "They asked us to sensitize our faithful on these questions," adds Saïd Ait Alla, president of the Faith and Unicity mosque.
The aim is to prevent a restart of the epidemic in the city, where the death rate was three times higher than the rest of Ile-de-France during the health crisis. "We are victims of what we are, with these very united communities, which live together, thinks the deputy (DVG) François Pupponi. They were all hit in waves. "
The faithful sprinkled with disinfectant at the entrance to the church
In early March, just before the general confinement, the Jewish community, for example, celebrated the feast of Purim. Nearly 600 people had gathered there, of which "many", according to Moïse Kahloun, were subsequently struck by the coronavirus. Like the evangelist gathering in Mulhouse.
“We may have been wrong to maintain a day of assembly. But at the time, the government's speech was not yet alarmist, recalls Moïse Kahloun. Since then, we have followed the instructions of the State to the letter in our synagogue. We don't want history to repeat itself. "
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At Saint-Thomas church, a building of the Chaldean community, vigilance is extreme. At the entrance, each devotee passes under a portico, where he is sprayed with disinfectant for nine seconds. "We are adapting," says Sabri Anar, parish priest. To avoid the spread of the virus, we need to change our habits. "
These three Sunday masses gathering up to 1000 people insured until March 8, can for example explain why the Assyro-Chaldean community was particularly affected in March.
"We are organizing five now to prevent the spread of the virus. We led our community life normally before confinement, because there were no clear instructions, suggests the priest. With our usual solidarity, in our families. "
"We all have a mask, we pray a meter away"
Laëtitia's grandmother died of the coronavirus, despite the fact that her fragility had prevented her from going out for months. “We have a big family, we all live together. Some of us went to pray before confinement. She could have been contaminated through this, imagines the young woman. But, how should we have done? This is how we live! "
In the Muslim community, Farid's father (the first name has been changed), who died of Covid-19, may also have caught the virus during church services. “I was a thousand miles from thinking that he would be among the victims. He continued to go to Friday prayer just before confinement. On March 13, the mosque was still open ”, confides this faithful active of the Faith and Unicity mosque.
As a precaution, the place of worship has not yet reopened. The faithful can return to pray from June 23. But the Friday prayer, gathering up to 1500 people, will not be organized. Same decision at AMIS, the other mosque in the city, where the faithful return, however, to pray every other day of the week since June 8. “We are very careful. We all have a mask, we pray at a distance of one meter, we wash our hands with gel when we get home, ”says Aziz.
With a handful of the faithful, the father of two came to the mosque this Friday afternoon, thinking that the most important prayer of the week was again taking place. "At some point, we will have to resume our prayers," said Aziz. I don't think about the virus when I come here. There is as much chance of catching it in the baker as in going to pray. "If you pay attention, there is no problem," continues Sabri.
Said Ait went to consider it "too dangerous": "The virus is still circulating. Friday prayers gather too many people to keep everyone safe. At Faith and Unicity, we do not have the place to welcome everyone while respecting social distancing. We have to accept, for a time, to change our habits. "
The Embassy of Pakistan asked by the mayor to recall the instructions
Difficult when habits and practices are rooted in culture. As in the Pakistani community, where barrier gestures have been "very little respected," breathes Sana, manager of a store of traditional Pakistani and Indian clothes, at the Flanades shopping center.
I was speaking this afternoon in the hemicycle on the health and economic situation of Val-d'Oise. Indeed, our department being one of the most affected, the question of a deep analysis and an effective strategy seems more than obvious. pic.twitter.com/ilKZ2G3BlJ
- François Pupponi (@fpupponi) June 9, 2020"I stayed locked up. But shaking hands with us is a sign of respect. We need to be together, to see each other, to talk to each other, to touch each other. Unfortunately, it may have favored the virus and claimed the lives of people, she said. You shouldn't blame them. You can't change everything overnight. "
Faced with the lack of respect and understanding of health recommendations, François Pupponi had even challenged the Pakistani ambassador to France, "so that he would intervene", he said, with his nationals in Sarcelles. Contacted, the embassy did not respond to our requests.
