PARIS: Hundreds of French mosques are participating in a major open-house event this weekend, offering visitors the opportunity to come in for tea and a chat about Islam in a country shaken by militant attacks. Organised by the country’s leading Muslim body, the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM), it aims to stimulate dialogue about Islam and create a greater sense of “national cohesion”, a year after 17 people were killed in militant attacks in Paris targeting satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket. French Muslims fear deeper divide after Paris attacks “The objective is to create a space where people can be together and meet normal Muslim worshippers and all of our fellow citizens,” CFCM president Anouar Kbibech told AFP. The idea is to use the anniversary of the January 7 attacks to “highlight the real values of Islam, to set straight the cliches about links to violence and terrorism,” he said, describing the venture as a “gesture of openness”. “Instead of dwelling on these tragic acts, it seemed more useful and important to celebrate ‘the spirit of January 11′,” he said, referring to the date when millions of people took to the streets in a mass show of solidarity. France shuts down three mosques and four Muslim prayer rooms Following the November attacks, in which militants killed 130 people, France declared a state of emergency which has seen police staging around 20 raids on Muslim places of worship
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