

“It is the price of the freedom of someone who has lost his freedom” Chalghoumi told me. “And who could lose his life..."

“It is the price of the freedom of someone who has lost his freedom” Chalghoumi told me. “And who could lose his life. It is the price to pay for those who defend the Islam of the Enlightenment against political Islam. It is a fight against obscurantism, against communitarianism, against the hatred of those who do not believe in respect for non-Muslims. Unfortunately, this also means that the stakes are huge in France and Europe. Today I pay the price for the mistakes of French and European politics of the last 30 years. An imam like me who defends humanist values is obliged to be protected and to pay the consequences for his family and for himself. The consequence is that I have to wear a bulletproof vest to be able to lead prayer in my mosque in Drancy. We are not in Baghdad, but in France. I defend dialogue with the Jewish community and with Eastern Christians. This is not appreciated by many Muslims. I became a target”.
Who are the enemies of France? “They are the supporters of political Islam. They are the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafis. They are supported by Erdogan's Turkey, which is an enemy of humanity, Europe, Eastern Christians, Armenians, Syrians and even Turkey. Political Islam has infiltrated Europe for more than 30 years.
"Then there are those who call themselves 'Islamic-left' and have played their game, they are their accomplices, as in the city hall of Strasbourg and in other cities, where they finance mosques. They do it either for electoral purposes or out of naivete”.
What is at stake in this battle? “The question of the struggle against radical Islam and against political Islam is crucial. It has caught on in many neighborhoods. The stability of France and Europe is at stake. Every citizen should fight against this ideology. It is necessary to fight against foreign funding and interference from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and their Islamist ideologies of another era. It is necessary to oppose an Islam of the light to this radical Islam. Republican imams must be trained. Many young people are victims of it. We can hope that Emmanuel Macron's anti-separatism law is up to the task. In any case, it goes in the right direction and is a first step”.
He doesn’t have any remorse for the price he paid.
The battle was worthy of it. The battle to save France and Europe from darkness.
Giulio Meotti is, an Italian journalist with Il Foglio, writes a twice-weekly column for Arutz Sheva. He is the author, in English, of the book "A New Shoah", that researched the personal stories of Israel's terror victims, published by Encounter and of "J'Accuse: the Vatican Against Israel" published by Mantua Books, in addition to books in Italian. His writing has appeared in publications, such as the Wall Street Journal, Gatestone, Frontpage and Commentary.