Nice in France

Source: The Muslim Sunrise, Fall 2016

By Dr. Khaula Shah

Nice in France is the 5th largest city of the country with a population of almost a million. They are all neighbors to each other.

Islam is the second-most widely professed religion in France behind Catholic Christianity. There are almost 7 million Muslims in France, the largest number in The Western Europe, an estimated 5 to 10 percent of the national population.

Located in the Côte d’Azur area on the south east coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea, Nice is the second-largest French city on the Mediterranean coast.

The city’s main seaside promenade, the Promenade des Anglais (“Walkway of the English’) owes its name to visitors to the resort.

The peaceful town of Nice woke up to a nightmare of mayhem and terror on 14th of July this year.

Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, a Tunisian resident of France, deliberately drove a 19 ton cargo truck in the evening, into the crowds celebrating Bastille Day on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, killing 84 and injuring 303. Thirty of the 84 killed were Muslims reflecting the demographics of the people celebrating the French National Day or Bastille Day, as it is more popularly known.

He was one of the worst neighbors the world has ever known.  The Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him, would have been terribly upset almost angry if he ever heard of this that someone who carried his name perpetrated this heinous crime. It is reported and very well known in the Muslim circles: Abu Hurairah relates that the Holy Prophet called out: By Allah he does not believe, by Allah he does not believe, by Allah he does not believe. He was asked: Who does not believe, Messenger of Allah? He said: He whose neighbor is not secure against his mischief.i

Lahouaiej-Bouhlel was not a good Muslim by any stretch of the imagination. The above Hadith clearly condemns him. Yet many in the US national media did not leave any stone unturned to link his horrendous crime to Islam and stereotype against each and every peace loving moderate Muslim.

The father of Lahouaiej-Bouhlel said of his son, “He didn’t pray, he didn’t fast, he drank alcohol and even used drugs.” So, if we carefully search for the truth there was plenty of evidence that he was not a good or a practicing Muslim. He certainly was a terrible neighbor.

His father also said that he underwent psychiatric treatment before he moved to France.ii He married a French-Tunisian cousin, living in Nice, with whom he had three children. According to his wife’s lawyer, he was repeatedly reported for domestic violence and the couple separated.iii

He was an angry man who happened to be born in a Muslim family.

If he had paid attention to the compassionate teachings of Islam and the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, he would have known:

Abdullah ibn Umar relates that the Holy Prophet said: ‘The best companion in the sight of Allah is he who behaves the best towards his companions, and the best neighbor is he who behaves the best towards his neighbors.’iv

If Lahouaiej-Bouhlel were a good Muslim he should have also known that the Prophet also said:

“Whoever wishes to be delivered from the fire and to enter paradise should treat other people as they wish to be treated themselves.”v

And:

“Do unto all men as you would wish to have done unto you; and reject for others what you would reject for yourself.”vi

And:

Abu Shuraih Khuza’i relates that the Holy Prophet said: ‘He who believes in Allah and the Last Day should be benevolent towards his neighbor; he who believes in Allah and the Last Day should honor his guest; he who believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak beneficently or should keep quiet.’vii

Apparently Lahouaiej-Bouhlel had heard none of these sayings.

Read further in the Muslim Sunrise on page 13: Muslim-Sunrise-fall-2016