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New Straits Times
a day ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
'Why this hatred': French town reels over killing of Tunisian man
THE murder of a Tunisian man by his French neighbour in southern France, which is being investigated as a terror crime, has horrified the local community and raised alarm over rising racism in the country. Tributes poured in from shocked neighbours and friends mourning the murder of Hichem Miraoui, with more than a dozen bouquets placed outside the barbershop where he worked in the quiet town of Puget-sur-Argens. "I don't understand why he was killed. Why all this hatred?" said Sylvia Elvasorre, a 65-year-old pensioner who lives next to the hair salon, tears in her eyes. Marwouen Gharssalli, 43, echoed her disbelief, saying his friend was generous and willing to lend a helping hand. "He even cut hair for free when people couldn't pay... he regularly used to cut my son's hair," said Gharssalli, a welder in the southern town. A card signed by fellow shopkeepers said the death of Miraoui – remembered as hard-working and warm – would "leave a void." Christophe B., a French national, shot and killed Miraoui, 46, on Saturday evening before injuring another neighbour, a Turkish national. The suspect, born in 1971, was arrested after his partner alerted police. He posted racist videos on social media both before and after the attack, according to regional prosecutor Pierre Couttenier. A silent march is planned in Puget-sur-Argens on Sunday to affirm the city's "absolute rejection of hatred and our commitment to respect, tolerance and fraternity," said a town hall statement. The shooting followed the murder of a Malian man in a mosque in April, also in southern France, while the burning of a Quran near Lyon at the weekend has further fuelled concerns over rising anti-Muslim attacks in the country. "People are stunned that a racist crime like this could happen. This kind of thing is not part of Puget's culture," said Paul Boudoube, the town's mayor. Miraoui was in a video call with family planning for the major Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, when he was shot "He was joking with our sick mother when I heard him grunt and the call ended," said Hanen Miraoui, the victim's sister. According to French daily Le Parisien, the suspect in Miraoui's murder said he "swore allegiance to the French flag" and called on the French to "shoot" people of foreign origin in one of his videos posted on social media. Anti-terrorism prosecutors have taken over the investigation into the case, the first such racist attack linked to the far right to be dealt with as "terrorism" since their office was set up in 2019. "It means that investigative resources will be devoted to analysing the political motives behind this act and how this person became radicalised," said the legal head of the anti-discrimination group SOS Racisme, Zelie Heran, who praised the referral. Following the murder, political and religious leaders have sounded the alarm over growing anti-Muslim acts in France, which increased by 72 per cent in the first quarter, with 79 recorded cases, according to interior ministry figures. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who is taking an increasingly hard line on immigration issues, has faced accusations of not being firm enough against such crimes and even fuelling a racist climate. But he said on Tuesday that the killing of Miraoui was "clearly a racist crime", "probably also anti-Muslim" and "perhaps also a terrorist crime." Chems-Eddine Hafiz, the rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, called on French President Emmanuel Macron to speak out. "It is time to hold accountable the promoters of this hatred who, in political and media circles, act with complete impunity and incite extremely serious acts," said Hafiz. "Remind people of the reality that we are citizens of this country," said Hafiz. France is home to the largest Muslim community in the European Union, as well as the largest Jewish population outside Israel and the United States. There has also been a rise in reported attacks against members of France's Jewish community since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023 and the Israeli military responded with a devastating military offensive on the Gaza Strip killing thousands.
Local France
a day ago
- General
- Local France
‘Why this hatred?': French town reels over killing of Tunisian man
Tributes poured in from shocked neighbours and friends mourning the murder of Hichem Miraoui, with more than a dozen bouquets placed outside the barbershop where he worked in the quiet Var town of Puget-sur-Argens. 'I don't understand why he was killed. Why all this hatred?' said Sylvia Elvasorre, a 65-year-old who lives next to the hair salon, tears in her eyes. Marwouen Gharssalli, 43, echoed her disbelief, saying his friend was generous and willing to lend a helping hand. 'He even cut hair for free when people couldn't pay... he regularly used to cut my son's hair,' said Gharssalli, a welder. A card signed by fellow shopkeepers said the death of Miraoui – remembered as hard-working and warm – would 'leave a void'. Christophe B, a French national, shot and killed Miraoui, 46, on Saturday evening before injuring another neighbour, a Turkish national. The suspect, born in 1971, was arrested after his partner alerted police. He posted racist videos on social media both before and after the attack, according to regional prosecutor Pierre Couttenier. A silent march is planned in Puget-sur-Argens on Sunday to affirm the town's 'absolute rejection of hatred and our commitment to respect, tolerance and fraternity,' said a town hall statement. The shooting followed the murder of a Malian man in a mosque in April, also in southern France, while the burning of a Koran near Lyon at the weekend has further fuelled concerns over rising anti-Muslim attacks in the country. Advertisement 'People are stunned that a racist crime like this could happen. This kind of thing is not part of Puget's culture,' said Paul Boudoube, the town's mayor. Miraoui was in a video call with family planning for the major Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, when he was shot. 'He was joking with our sick mother when I heard him grunt and the call ended,' said Hanen Miraoui, the victim's sister. According to French daily Le Parisien , the suspect in Miraoui's murder said he 'swore allegiance to the French flag' and called on the French to 'shoot' people of foreign origin in one of his videos posted on social media. Anti-terrorism prosecutors have taken over the investigation into the case, the first such racist attack linked to the far right to be dealt with as 'terrorism' since their office was set up in 2019. 'It means that investigative resources will be devoted to analysing the political motives behind this act and how this person became radicalised,' said the legal head of the anti-discrimination group SOS Racisme, Zelie Heran, who welcomed the referral. Political and religious leaders have sounded the alarm over growing anti-Muslim acts in France, which increased by 72 percent in the first quarter, with 79 recorded cases, according to interior ministry figures. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who is taking an increasingly hard line on immigration issues, has faced accusations of not being firm enough against such crimes and even fuelling a racist climate. Advertisement But he said on Tuesday that the killing of Miraoui was 'clearly a racist crime', 'probably also anti-Muslim' and 'perhaps also a terrorist crime'. Chems-Eddine Hafiz, the rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, called on President Emmanuel Macron to speak out. 'It is time to hold accountable the promoters of this hatred who, in political and media circles, act with complete impunity and incite extremely serious acts,' said Hafiz. 'Remind people of the reality that we are citizens of this country.' France is home to the largest Muslim community in the European Union, as well as the largest Jewish population outside Israel and the United States. There has also been a rise in reported attacks against members of France's Jewish community since Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th, 2023, and the Israeli military responded with a devastating military offensive on the Gaza Strip. France's Holocaust memorial and three Paris synagogues and a restaurant were vandalised with paint on Saturday.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
'Why this hatred': French town reels over killing of Tunisian man
The murder of a Tunisian man by his French neighbour in southern France, which is being investigated as a terror crime, has horrified the local community and raised alarm over rising racism in the country. Tributes poured in from shocked neighbours and friends mourning the murder of Hichem Miraoui, with more than a dozen bouquets placed outside the barbershop where he worked in the quiet town of Puget-sur-Argens. "I don't understand why he was killed. Why all this hatred?" said Sylvia Elvasorre, a 65-year-old pensioner who lives next to the hair salon, tears in her eyes. Marwouen Gharssalli, 43, echoed her disbelief, saying his friend was generous and willing to lend a helping hand. "He even cut hair for free when people couldn't pay... he regularly used to cut my son's hair," said Gharssalli, a welder in the southern town. A card signed by fellow shopkeepers said the death of Miraoui -- remembered as hard-working and warm -- would "leave a void". Christophe B., a French national, shot and killed Miraoui, 46, on Saturday evening before injuring another neighbour, a Turkish national. The suspect, born in 1971, was arrested after his partner alerted police. He posted racist videos on social media both before and after the attack, according to regional prosecutor Pierre Couttenier. A silent march is planned in Puget-sur-Argens on Sunday to affirm the city's "absolute rejection of hatred and our commitment to respect, tolerance and fraternity," said a town hall statement. - 'Complete impunity' - The shooting followed the murder of a Malian man in a mosque in April, also in southern France, while the burning of a Koran near Lyon at the weekend has further fuelled concerns over rising anti-Muslim attacks in the country. "People are stunned that a racist crime like this could happen. This kind of thing is not part of Puget's culture," said Paul Boudoube, the town's mayor. Miraoui was in a video call with family planning for the major Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, when he was shot "He was joking with our sick mother when I heard him grunt and the call ended," said Hanen Miraoui, the victim's sister. According to French daily Le Parisien, the suspect in Miraoui's murder said he "swore allegiance to the French flag" and called on the French to "shoot" people of foreign origin in one of his videos posted on social media. Anti-terrorism prosecutors have taken over the investigation into the case, the first such racist attack linked to the far right to be dealt with as "terrorism" since their office was set up in 2019. "It means that investigative resources will be devoted to analysing the political motives behind this act and how this person became radicalised," said the legal head of the anti-discrimination group SOS Racisme, Zelie Heran, who praised the referral. Following the murder, political and religious leaders have sounded the alarm over growing anti-Muslim acts in France, which increased by 72 percent in the first quarter, with 79 recorded cases, according to interior ministry figures. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who is taking an increasingly hard line on immigration issues, has faced accusations of not being firm enough against such crimes and even fuelling a racist climate. But he said on Tuesday that the killing of Miraoui was "clearly a racist crime", "probably also anti-Muslim" and "perhaps also a terrorist crime." Chems-Eddine Hafiz, the rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, called on French President Emmanuel Macron to speak out. "It is time to hold accountable the promoters of this hatred who, in political and media circles, act with complete impunity and incite extremely serious acts," said Hafiz. "Remind people of the reality that we are citizens of this country," said Hafiz. France is home to the largest Muslim community in the European Union, as well as the largest Jewish population outside Israel and the United States. There has also been a rise in reported attacks against members of France's Jewish community since Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023 and the Israeli military responded with a devastating military offensive on the Gaza Strip. France's Holocaust memorial and three Paris synagogues and a restaurant were vandalised with paint on Saturday. brk-cg/ekf/sjw/fg
France 24
2 days ago
- General
- France 24
'Why this hatred': French town reels over killing of Tunisian man
Tributes poured in from shocked neighbours and friends mourning the murder of Hichem Miraoui, with more than a dozen bouquets placed outside the barbershop where he worked in the quiet town of Puget-sur-Argens. "I don't understand why he was killed. Why all this hatred?" said Sylvia Elvasorre, a 65-year-old pensioner who lives next to the hair salon, tears in her eyes. Marwouen Gharssalli, 43, echoed her disbelief, saying his friend was generous and willing to lend a helping hand. "He even cut hair for free when people couldn't pay... he regularly used to cut my son's hair," said Gharssalli, a welder in the southern town. A card signed by fellow shopkeepers said the death of Miraoui -- remembered as hard-working and warm -- would "leave a void". Christophe B., a French national, shot and killed Miraoui, 46, on Saturday evening before injuring another neighbour, a Turkish national. The suspect, born in 1971, was arrested after his partner alerted police. He posted racist videos on social media both before and after the attack, according to regional prosecutor Pierre Couttenier. A silent march is planned in Puget-sur-Argens on Sunday to affirm the city's "absolute rejection of hatred and our commitment to respect, tolerance and fraternity," said a town hall statement. 'Complete impunity' The shooting followed the murder of a Malian man in a mosque in April, also in southern France, while the burning of a Koran near Lyon at the weekend has further fuelled concerns over rising anti-Muslim attacks in the country. "People are stunned that a racist crime like this could happen. This kind of thing is not part of Puget's culture," said Paul Boudoube, the town's mayor. Miraoui was in a video call with family planning for the major Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, when he was shot "He was joking with our sick mother when I heard him grunt and the call ended," said Hanen Miraoui, the victim's sister. According to French daily Le Parisien, the suspect in Miraoui's murder said he "swore allegiance to the French flag" and called on the French to "shoot" people of foreign origin in one of his videos posted on social media. Anti-terrorism prosecutors have taken over the investigation into the case, the first such racist attack linked to the far right to be dealt with as "terrorism" since their office was set up in 2019. "It means that investigative resources will be devoted to analysing the political motives behind this act and how this person became radicalised," said the legal head of the anti-discrimination group SOS Racisme, Zelie Heran, who praised the referral. Following the murder, political and religious leaders have sounded the alarm over growing anti-Muslim acts in France, which increased by 72 percent in the first quarter, with 79 recorded cases, according to interior ministry figures. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who is taking an increasingly hard line on immigration issues, has faced accusations of not being firm enough against such crimes and even fuelling a racist climate. But he said on Tuesday that the killing of Miraoui was "clearly a racist crime", "probably also anti-Muslim" and "perhaps also a terrorist crime." Chems-Eddine Hafiz, the rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, called on French President Emmanuel Macron to speak out. "It is time to hold accountable the promoters of this hatred who, in political and media circles, act with complete impunity and incite extremely serious acts," said Hafiz. "Remind people of the reality that we are citizens of this country," said Hafiz. France is home to the largest Muslim community in the European Union, as well as the largest Jewish population outside Israel and the United States. There has also been a rise in reported attacks against members of France's Jewish community since Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023 and the Israeli military responded with a devastating military offensive on the Gaza Strip.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
Far-right supporter 'killed Muslim neighbour in racially-motivated attack'
Christophe B, a 53-year-old boilermaker, is said to have posted messages online urging people 'to shoot foreigners' before allegedly killing his Muslim neighbour A far-right supporter has been arrested on suspicion of the 'racially-motivated' terrorist killing of a Muslim neighbour. Hichem Miraoui, a 45-year-old hairdresser from Tunisia, was shot five times in the village of Puget-sur-Argents, near Fréjus, France on Saturday night. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Christophe B, a 53-year-old boilermaker who lived in the same street, has since been arrested and is facing a murder charge. He is believed to be the first far-Right supporter to be investigated for a terrorist crime in France. Christophe B, a registered gun owner is said to have posted hateful messages online urging people "to shoot foreigners". He also praised the National Front, Marine Le Pen's far-Right party which is now called the National Rally. Pierre Couttenier, a regional prosecutor in the south of France, confirmed that Christophe B. had "posted two videos on his social media account containing racist and hateful content" before and after his attack. Mr Couttenier said the file had accordingly been handed over to counterterrorism prosecutors, because the suspect – who also shot a Turkish man in the hand – wanted to "disrupt public order through terror." Another investigating source said he was suspected of the 'racially-motivated terrorist killing' of Mr Miraoui. Linking the incident to wider anti-Muslim sentiment in France, Mourad Battikh, a lawyer for the Miraoui family, said: "Hichem's death is the direct consequence of an atmosphere fed by stigmatisation, and the trivialisation of racist violence. "We must take the time to reflect and ask ourselves how do individuals manage to carry out the most hateful crime – to take a life – in the name of the French flag. Today, the French flag is being made into the standard of a hateful ideology." It comes amid a rising tide of hate crimes against Muslims in the country. Bruno Retailleau, France's Interior Minister, has frequently been criticised for not treating attacks on Muslims as terrorist ones. Following the latest killing, Mr Retailleau said Mr Miraoui's murder was a "racist act". Mr Retailleau said: "Racism in France and elsewhere is a poison, and we can see that it is a poison that kills. Every racist act is an anti-French act." There was outrage in April when Aboubakar Cissé, a 24-year-old Malian who worked in France as a carpenter, was stabbed to death in La Grand-Combe mosque, close to Arlès, in the South of France. Mr Cissé was stabbed at least 60 times by Olivier H, 21, who turned himself in to a police station in Pistoia, Tuscany, three days after the killing. He now faces trial for the "racist and Islamophobic" murder of Mr Cissé. A spokesman for the pressure group SOS Racisme said there was a 'poisonous climate' in France caused by the "trivialisation of racist rhetoric". France is home to a Muslim community of around six million – the largest in western Europe. Along with other religious groups – such as Jewish ones – followers of Islam frequently complain about discrimination and hatred. Anti-religious and racist crimes rose by more than 10% last year, according to Interior Ministry figures, with attacks on mosques and other Islamic centres increasing. Much of it has been attributed to far-Right discourse by extremist politicians and political commentators.
