Muslims of
the Comorian community have paid tribute to Rev Jacques Hamel after he
was butchered in a French church by ISIS fanatics.
The
Sunni Muslims attended Mass among other mourners at the Sacre Coeur
basilica in Marseille on Thursday, the same day Pope Francis said the
world is at war in the wake of the murder of the priest.
The Pope urged that it is not a 'war of religions'.
The
100,000 strong Comorian community - originally from the Comoro islands
near Mozambique and Madagascar - in France is mainly settled in
Marseille, but also in Paris, Seine-Saint-Denis and Lyon.
The
85-year-old Catholic priest was slaughtered by ISIS fanatics in a
church in the Normandy town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, on Tuesday.
The attack
came as France was still coming to terms with the Bastille Day massacre
in Nice that killed 84 people and was claimed by the Islamic State
group.
Religious leaders of all faiths have also come together in the UK to pay their respects to the slain priest.
The Catholic Church in England and Wales issues a joint statement from Muslim leaders and the Cardinal saying:
'Together,
as faith leaders, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and all
those affected by the murderous assault that took place today at the
Church of Saint-Etienne–du-Rouvray in France.
'We are deeply saddened and shocked by the brutal murder of Fr Jacques Hamel.
'To
commit murder at a place where people gather in peace to worship adds
another layer of depravity to the violence that we have witnessed over
the past weeks. We pray for the courage to respond to all evil with
truth, justice, and reconciliation.'
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