Christian Estrosi denounces “Muslim prayers” in three school playgrounds in Nice, Pap Ndiaye deplores “intolerable facts”

The Minister of National Education, Pap Ndiaye, reacted on Friday, June 16, to the message of Christian Estrosi, the mayor of Nice, who had denounced the day before “muslim prayers” And “a minute of silence for Muhammad” which took place in the playground of three schools in his city.

The Minister of National Education deplored “intolerable facts” and ured to have “immediately mobilized the”Republic values ​​teams””. In a joint statement with Mr. Estrosihe points out that a high school and a college in the Alpes-Maritimes are also concerned by “very serious attacks on the principle of secularism”.

The mayor of Nice had communicated Thursday, explaining that the academic inspector of his city had informed him the day before “several extremely serious facts that occurred in different establishments” schools in Nice. In a letter to Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, that he broadcast on Twitter, he evokes “children in CM1 and CM2 who said the Muslim prayer in the courtyard of their establishment or organized a minute of silence in memory of the Prophet Muhammad in their school”.

“No link established between cases”

The rector of the Nice Academy confirmed to Nice morning that five establishments are concerned, “including three elementary schools in Nice”. “It’s a first in the academy to have elementary schools”especially as it concerns “ the most serious facts, in particular because of the age of the children”comments Natacha Chicot.

The rector detailed the facts to the regional newspaper. She evokes a “call for a minute of silence in memory of the prophet at the meridian break”launched by a CM1-CM2 student in a school in Nice in mid-May. “A report for radicalization has been made”writing Nice morning.

The newspaper mentions two other facts reported in two separate schools: prayers, still at lunch break, performed by a group of ten children in one case, three in the other. “There is no established link between the cases”pointed out Mr.me Chicot who says he informed Mr. Estrosi “because the facts were serious enough and the reports had been made by municipal staff. »

In his letter to Elisabeth Borne, Christian Estrosi denounces “attempts to intrude religion into the sanctuaries of the Republic that are our schools”. “Our response must be firm, collective and resolute”he adds.

In a separate press release, the mayor of Nice says he has requested “the head of government for a major awareness campaign on the phenomenon of radicalization to be launched in schools, to better protect children and train our staff”.

The World with AFP