A French Muslim has made an empassioned plea calling on his peers to fight extremism, in a video that has gone viral on social media.
Bassem Braiki, from Venissieux, near Lyon, posted a video on Facebook in which he tells the Muslim community in France they are the only ones who are able to stop extremists’ radicalisation.
“The solution comes from us,” he says.
The video has been watched more than six million times on Facebook and more than 90,000 times on YouTube.
He urges anyone who notices something suspicious to report it immediately to the authorities, without fearing to be called a turncoat, and said violence should be used if needed.
Watch the full video below (it is in French and contains strong language):
Here is an extract of what Bassem Braiki says:
“I am doing this video because I am fed up. I am fed up with seeing all those attacks….. Without realising, we are entering into a civil war, a war of ideology and it is likely to hurt a lot….
I am addressing all the French Muslims: let’s protect our beautiful religion.
Let’s go and track these impostors who pretend to be Muslims and kill people.
It’s not the authorities who are going to get rid of them...... it’s us.
It’s us Muslims who are vindicating the values of the Republic. It is for us to refer anything suspicious to the authorities….
It is for us, Muslims of France, who have religion in our hearts, and obey Islam’s principles - a religion of peace and sharing.
This has got nothing to do with being a turncoat…. Even if we have no justifications to give on the attack because the most intelligent of us will know this is not about Islam.
There is enough of those people who shame two billion Muslims - because whether you want it or not, the mix-up will be made (between Muslims and terrorists).
The solution will come from us.”
