Itongadol.- The sanctity of human life transcends that of all the holy places including Mecca, the Vatican or Jerusalem, a group of prominent Imams in France told President Shimon Peres on the eve of the commemoration of the first anniversary of the terrorist attack on a Chabad school in Toulouse.
The Imams from the most important mosques were part of a Muslim delegation that also included representatives of the Egyptian, African, Moroccan and Senegal communities in France. Peres was pleasantly surprised by the attitude of the Imams who in the course of their discussion expressed appreciation for the manner in which Israel permits freedom of worship for people of all faiths. They also voiced support for Israel\’s fight against terror.
Relating to both the French soldiers who were victims of terror last year, and the children and teacher in the Chabad school who were murdered, the Imams declared that the Muslims no less than the Jews were under the constant threat of extremist elements who have taken upon themselves a mission of murder which does not stop short of snuffing out the lives of children. "We are here," they said, "to tell our French and Jewish brethren that we are all together in our opposition to terror and in our desire for peace."
Peres was deeply moved by the words of the Muslim leaders and told them how much he appreciated their visit and their sentiments. "I see you as brothers on the path to an important and effective dialogue," he said. This in itself, he emphasized, made their meeting all the more significant.
375