Charlie Hebdo anniversary: French president visits main Paris mosque

Around 2,000 people turned up at Place de la Republique to mark the attacks

PARIS: French President Francois Hollande Sunday made an unannounced visit to the main mosque in Paris as the French capital observed the first anniversary of the attacks on Charlie Hebdo.

"The president had a short conversation and a moment of friendship and fraternity over a cup of tea," a French presidency official said. Mosques across France opened their doors to the public this weekend in a bid by the Muslim community to build bridges following a series of militant attacks that rocked France in 2015.

Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, who had visited a mosque near Paris on Saturday, said France needs more than ever, "the engagement of all Muslims."



He, however, warned that "the self-proclaimed preachers of hate" in mosques would be dealt with severely.

Earlier, Hollande attended a sombre, low-key event to mark a year since 1.5 million people thronged Paris in a show of unity following the shootings at Charlie Hebdo newspaper and a Jewish supermarket.

Paris's three days of terror last January began when militant brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi stormed the Charlie Hebdo offices on January 7, gunning down 12 people.

The next day, another extremist, Amedy Coulibaly, shot dead a policewoman before killing four people in a siege at a Jewish supermarket.

On Sunday, around 2,000 people submitted to strict security checks to get into the Place de la Republique for the event, many saying they were determined to attend.

Hollande led a programme of music and readings dedicated to the victims and the city of Paris, meeting families of the survivors, placing a wreath and unveiling a commemorative plaque.

Later Sunday, as night fell, the square's central statue of Marianne — symbol of the French republic — was illuminated, as well as a "remembrance tree", an oak planted at the west end of the square in honour of the attack victims.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 11^th, 2016.