Muslims threaten French Imam who preaches peace with Israel

You may have seen the headline or heard that a French imam was receiving death threats. But what those earlier articles failed to mention was that the death threats were coming from muslims, not angry Jews. The imam received death threats from his coreligionists because he preached peace with Israel, not the usual "Death to all Jews" bit.

French President Sarkozy has vowed to fight 'islamophobia' but in this case the muslims themselves are 'islamophobes'. Guardian

Hassen Chalghoumi has devoted his life to bringing people together. For years he has preached the values of inter-faith harmony from his mosque in Paris's poor and fractious north-eastern suburbs, working with Jewish leaders, inviting them to his home and urging young people of all religions to embrace harmony in place of hatred.

But today the imam, whose work has been hailed by religious and political leaders, was in fear of his life and under police protection in Drancy after the tensions lying dormant in his community were reawoken by the conflict over 2,000 miles away in Gaza.

Enraged by his determination to show solidarity with the Jewish community at a time when they feel the battle lines are clear, unknown French Muslims have left death threats on his mobile phone. Some have stopped him in the street to warn him he is going "too far". His car has been vandalised and drenched in fuel.

"It is very hard to work for rapprochement in such a climate," he said. "But it has to be done."