A conference on Terrorism, its ideology and financing held at Paris Business School

By Manel Mselmi, Paris

Thursday October 26th , a  conference on” Terrorism ,its ideology and financing “was held in Paris at Paris Business school with the presence of nearly 250 people including 200 students who came To discuss with experts from France about terrorism. The objective of this conference is to sensitize young people about the dangers of islamism especially through the financial means used by some countries above all  Qatar. The conference is organised by Professor Frédéric  Encel,a professor of political science at Paris Business school and Imam Hassen Chalghoumi, the president of the conference of imams in France and founder of “The Union of Peoples for Peace ” and some civil society organisations working for Peace and coexistence in France.High level speakers such as Michaël Prazan,demonstrated the role played by Qatar in financing Terrorism in Europe and the need to fight against these kind of financing which can be cultural ,artistic or sportive and not necessarily religious.French Deputy Jean-Michel Fauverge underlined the role the Raid played in fighting against terrorism and the need of cooperation on the part of the Muslim community who has a major role to play.

A round table was organised on “Djihadism, Muslim Brotherhood and threats ” ,it wasmoderated by the skillfull journalist Thierry Guerrier with two speakers Manel Mselmi, a Columnist, researcher and blogger who evoked the need to defend the values of feminism and gender equality in the Arab and Muslim world and resist islamism. Martine Gozlan, a Journalist at Marianne, evoked the need to free Muslim women and the question of the imposed veil in certain countries like Qatar.Rezk Shehata as well , the spokesman of the Copt community in France spoke about the suffering of the Copt christian community in Egypt who live under the pressure of Muslim Brotherhood and who witnessed so many terrorist attacks.

Finally, the imam Hassen Chalghoumi ended the conference with a speech highlighting his commitment and struggle as an imam and a human being to fight against terrorism and radicalism as well as his struggle against countries which finance terrorism especially Qatar which tries to empower islamism in Europe and in the MENA region and the need to have a moderate and open version of islam compeletly different from that of the Muslim Brotherhood , a version which adapts with the values of France and Euope and which respects the freedom and the choice of everyone.