By Manel Mselmi, Paris

Following the initiative of the president of the conference of imams in France and the imam of Drancy, Mr Hassen Chalghoumi together with the founder of “Syria for all” Dr Mohamed Izzat Khatab, The ambassador of Germany To France visited the Shoah memorial in Drancy yesterday morning with officials and representatives of organisations in France and religious leaders. Being one of the internment camps during the second world war in which Jews were later deported to the extermination camps, Drancy memorial is an important memorial museum which was opened in 2012 by French president François Hollande. It contains personal belongings, messages and some cards and letters that give voice to these prisoners who were later murdered by the nazis. The invitation that imam Hassen Chalghoumi addressed To the ambassador of Germany is very symbolic and shows the commitment of both religious and political leaders to fight against antisemitism as well as the rememberance duty that leaders should do to give examples of peace ,coexistence and tolerance to European citizens and to the world. The visit started with a tour in the mosque of Drancy together with Rabi Moshe Lewin, vice president of the conference of European Rabbis and a peace activist To end up with a visit To the Shoah memorial in Drancy explained by Eric Gozlan, an expert in the Shoah history ending up with both a Muslim and Jewish prayer To the victims.

Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut was previously a chief advisor for European affairs to the German chancellor Angela Merkel. He is an expert in European affairs and he has always believed in a strong and united Europe. He also believes in a Europe which brings peace and coexistence to its citizens but also takes lessons from the past in order to build a better future for the new generations in which war, hatred, antisemitism, racism and extremism have no room and in which brotherhood, tolerance and love prevail. A message which these civil society organisations such as “Syria for all” and the “Union of peoples for Peace” share along with both Jewish and Muslim leaders in France in order  to show an exemple of unity and respect.

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