Muslim Hero At Kosher Market Siege, To Get French Citizenship

[okaawhatever]

Lassana Bathily, 24, saved at least six people during the Jan. 9 attack on the kosher market where he worked in Paris. For his bravery, the Malian immigrant will be granted with French citizenship -- nine years after arriving in the country.

French Minister of the Interior Bernard Cazeneuve made the announcement on Thursday after a Change.org petition garnered more than 300,000 signatures and the international community widely celebrated Bathily as a "hero."

"Lassana Bathily, a young Malian Muslim man, has lightened a week that otherwise would have been completely darkened," Thiaba Bruni, spokesman for Council of Black People’s Associations of France, said on the petition's landing page. "The story of Lassana is also a great lesson on the benefits of mutual aid and brotherhood, which is the deeper meaning of all true religion."

Gunman Amedy Coulibaly laid siege on Hyper Casher market on Friday in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo shooting, killing four and taking others hostage. Bathily, who worked as a shop assistant, helped several customers to safety in a downstairs freezer and eventually snuck out through a back door to offer information about the store's layout to police.

Continued at Link, also video
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/15/lassana-bathily-french-citizenship_n_6480226.html

[leftynyc]

1. Great news

Extremely deserving. He truly was an actual hero.

[oberliner]

2. Why is this person's religion relevant?

Why does the headline/story need to identify him as a Muslim?

Would they say "Christian hero" if he was Christian?

Or atheist hero?

[MoonRiver]

3. Maybe to help reduce the growing stereotype that all Muslims are crazed terrorists.

That's my take.

[glasshouses]

4. Why wouldn't they ?

I think it's a good thing they pointed it out

[HappyMe]

5. Why shouldn't they mention it?

The perps of this are identified as Muslim, why shouldn't this hero be?

[oberliner]

7. What does it have to do with anything?

And a lot of people have complained that the perps who did this should not be identified as Muslim.

[HappyMe]

11. And a lot of people basically said

tough shit, they ARE Muslim.

Like it or not, if it is pointed out that they were Muslim terrorists, then a hero of that religion should get equal time.

They attacked a Jewish market. Should it have been said that they attacked a market and left it at that?

[oberliner]

15. Is the Jewish-ness of the market relevant?

Like does that have anything to do with why they chose that target? If so, then I would say include that detail. And if the hero in question specifically said that he hid the folks because his religion called upon him to do so, then I would say his religion would be relevant too.

[BainsBane]

16. It was all over the news

The first thing we knew about that store was that it was Jewish and Kosher.

There is a carefully and purposefully constructed media message that associates terrorism and Islam, as if the two are the same thing. Lots of people commit acts of violence. More people have died this last week in the US from guns than were killed in France at Charlie Ebdo, and I wager many people have since died in France. But we are taught to fear and loathe Islam as the source of violence, as though those deaths are more harmful than all others before or since. This strikes me as an odd time to start questioning the singling out of someone as Muslim. Do you object to that media image being punctured, albeit momentarily?

[oberliner]

24. Maybe because there was an assumption that it was part of the reason for why it was chosen?

Possibly due to the context of past attacks targeting Jewish institutions.

[BainsBane]

6. Why was it relevant in regard to the killings at Charlie Hebdo?

Why should Muslim only be associated with violence in the public mind?

[oberliner]

9. Exactly

There are folks who are not cool with using it in that context either.

[Aerows]

18. Are you one of those folks?

If so, I would be interested to hear your reasoning.

Maybe we shouldn't even mention it was in a Jewish grocery store when Jewish people were shopping for the next day?

[oberliner]

23. I think if it's relevant it should be mentioned

Like if someone says - I am attacking you because what you are doing offends me as a Muslim - then that is relevant. Or if someone says, I felt it was my duty as a Muslim to rescue these people who were being attacked - then that would be relevant too.

Likewise, if there is reason to believe that the shop was attacked because it was a Jewish grocery store and that fact was not just incidental then I would say it would be relevant.

[Aerows]

25. So Muslims shooting Jewish people

in a Jewish grocery store the day before their Sabbath (not Jewish, so if I screw something up please forgive me), a day when many Jewish people would be shopping and a Muslim saves many Jewish people ... somehow is not a relevant detail?

What?

[oberliner]

28. Sorry I got a little lost in that question

Can you rephrase?

[Aerows]

29. A Muslim gunman

attacks Jews in a Jewish market when Jewish people would be shopping, and a Muslim saves Jewish lives.

How is that not relevant?

If I lost you there, I'm not certain how much more plainly I can point out that it IS indeed relevant.

[oberliner]

31. I got it now

I can see where you are coming from.

Do you think though that the fact that this person is Muslim makes his actions more heroic in some way? Like if the person was Jewish/Christian/atheist or what have you would that in any way diminish from the story?

[LeftishBrit]

34. He would be just as heroic whatever his religion...

but it makes it even more poignant that (a) he is a member of what is in France an 'out-group' (and was of course risking his life for members of yet another out-group; neither Jews nor Muslims are loved by the LePen crowd); and (b) that he is of the same religion as the one that the extremists used as an excuse for acts of horrifying violence, but contrasts with them to an extreme degree, thus showing that it is not what religion you hold that matters, but what sort of a human being you are. This should perhaps not need pointing out, but in this bigoted world often does.

It's perhaps worth noting that the famous Christian parable of the Good Samaritan is making the same point in a way. That story is not just about a good man doing kind actions, but about a good man from a religious out-group doing kind actions, when in-group members fell short.

[Aerows]

37. It makes it noteworthy

because it makes a point. In the midst of the violence caused by a lunatic Muslim, another Muslim stepped up to the plate and saved those people.

We need examples of people of all races, religions and creeds to step up to the plate and intervene when lunatics stir up trouble.

It isn't, by a long shot, the same thing, but I recall a video when a Texas cowboy took on a homophobe in an airport and said "We aren't having this shit around here."

Examples that we are human beings first instead of mindless drones following whatever dogma and insanity society, culture and religion try to force on us are important!

[HERVEPA]

8. You have got to be kidding, right?

Muslim gunam attacks Jewish market and religion isn't relevant. Right.

[oberliner]

10. I am talking about the religion of the person who helped hide people

The hero in question in this story. His religion doesn't really have anything to do with anything.

[HERVEPA]

13. Geez. Is your head that far in the sand you don't understand?

Or are you just being purposely obtuse.

[oberliner]

14. Purposely obtuse

If his religion had nothing to do with his heroism, why mention it?

[HERVEPA]

19. Glad you agree with the purposely obtuse.

[oberliner]

26. Sorry I just looked that up and now I take it back

I just liked the way those words sounded together.

[LanternWaste]

30. Ahhh... simply unintentionally obtuse. That I can believe.

Ahhh... simply unintentionally obtuse. That I can believe.

[oberliner]

32. Yes, apparently

Although I thought I made a fairly decent point initially.

[Aerows]

42. Apparently not

because here we all are 20 posts later ...

[oberliner]

43. Well I've learned a lot from this exchange

I always like to have my opinions challenged. Especially by the quality of folks that are on this website. To me, that's the best thing about DU.

[treestar]

49. It did because he is of the religion

that is under siege as causing terrorism. It's to help people see not to blame every Muslim for the acts of a few of them.

[oberliner]

52. I've come around to understanding that POV

Valid argument.

[leftynyc]

17. I think it's highly relevant

for a few reasons. If the religion of the terrorists is important, given this brave man was the same religion, that makes it important. I also think it's important that he was working for Jewish business (I would think there are those who would want to kill him - or certainly condemn him for that reason alone).

[HERVEPA]

20. Along that line, I worry for his health and safety in the future.

[Aerows]

21. It's exactly as relevant

as the fact that it happened in a Kosher grocery with Jewish customers in preparation for the next day. The attackers purposefully sought out Jews, and a Muslim stood up and aided them.

I just don't get where this poster is going with this line of thinking. Does this poster want people to forever be divided along religious lines to the point that we can't respect when we help one another (or even just help one another!), regardless of religion, in the middle of a catastrophe?

I don't get it.

[oberliner]

38. That is definitely not true

Let me try to clarify my point:

The store was attacked specifically because of its Jewish affiliation. That was the reason for the attack.

Therefore, the Jewish nature of the store is important.

The person who hid the potential victims did not do so specifically because of any religious affiliation. His religion did not enter into it at all.

It's not like if he was Christian or atheist or Hindu he would have therefore decided not to try to help.

[Aerows]

40. Ah - think I see

You don't think that it matters what his religion is, only that he helped fellow human beings.

It only matters in the context that he was in the right place in the right time.

[oberliner]

41. I think that is what I think

I am definitely being persuaded by some of what I am reading here that his religion is noteworthy though.

I just don't think it is relevant to why he did what he did.

[Aerows]

44. In the words of George Takai

[oberliner]

45. Not sure I understand

Can't tell if you are mocking me or agreeing with me!

Feel free to mock my cluelessness.

[secondwind]

36. because that is who he is

[Gormy Cuss]

47. Oh, dunno, maybe it will help defuse some of the raging Islamophobia? n/t

[Orsino]

51. I gather that it isn't relevant to your concerns.

It's relevant to those of many, many other people. The story is not just about heroism, but about a bit of sunshine in a lousy week and about giving the lie to stereotypes. It's about doing good in a bad, bad situation.

[KeepItReal]

12. He is a credit to immigrants everywhere. Merci, France!

Hell, he's a credit to humanity in general.

[closeupready]

22. What an honestly sweet gesture. K&R

[unblock]

27. damn! and people complain about what you have to do to become a citizen in america!

[Ford_Prefect]

33. He was a person who did the right things as a human being.

In the context of the events and the location his religious beliefs are indeed relevant. He exemplified the best of what any ordinary person could expect to do. Add to that he did this without a gun to shore up his ego.

Could France expect more of a worthy citizen?

*********

Bathily , who moved to France in 2006 at the age of 16, appeared on BFMTV Saturday night to talk about his experience and offered a powerful reflection that challenged the divisive nature of last week's attacks:

"We are brothers. It's not a question of Jews, of Christians or of Muslims. We're all in the same boat, we have to help each other to get out of this crisis."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/15/lassana-bathily-french-citizenship_n_6480226.html

[LeftishBrit]

35. Good. If anyone has shown himself to be a worthy citizen, it is this man.

[SunSeeker]

39. This man risked his life WAY more than Huffpo describes.

First, he hid 15 customers, then he acted as a decoy to keep the terrorists away from the place he hid them in, then he escaped and then took quite a chance running toward the cops (they arrested him thinking he was one of the terrorists). And he had the presence of mind to bring the keys to the metal shutter doors of the deli picture windows to give to the police so they could open them and more easily storm the place rather than try to squeeze into the narrow entry door.

From the CNN story:

Bathily led (15 custmers) downstairs into a walk-in freezer. Bathily, who describes himself as a "practicing Muslim," told CNN affiliate BFMTV he switched off the freezer, turned off the lights and told everyone to stay calm.
...
I'm the one (who) is going to go out," the 24-year-old reportedly told the customers. "I took the elevator and went upstairs."

Bathily told BFMTV that he went up after the hostage-taker -- whom authorities have identified as Amedy Coulibaly -- "asked us to all come upstairs."


If they didn't? "Otherwise, he would kill everyone who was downstairs," the young man said.

So Bathily did go upstairs, taking a freight elevator. But he didn't go toward Coulibaly. Instead, he ran outside. Police apprehended Bathily there, and he told them the location of the freezer and gave details about those inside.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/15/europe/kosher-grocery-employee-citizenship/index.html

[oberliner]

48. Awesome

A true hero in every sense of the word.

[Prism]

46. That's awesome!

And a powerful sentiment.