Curiosity
After having attended during his young years in Morocco, the kouttab, like the majority of children, Mohamed Nayma continued his spiritual path, always guided by an insatiable curiosity. Holder of a double baccalaureate, religious and in experimental sciences, he continued his studies in applied languages in Madrid, before validating his university degree “Religions and democratic society” in Montpellier, a city where he exercised his imamate for four years before joining the mosque of Cholet.
“I appreciate the principle of neutrality of the mosque of Agen, unique in the city. A French mosque with a single speech for all Muslims”.
Thierry Breton/SOUTHWEST
“Before coming here, I talked a lot with the members of the association, which includes many young people with the ambition to want to change things, to get involved in citizenship. I appreciate the principle of neutrality of the mosque of Agen, unique in the city. A French mosque with a single speech for all Muslims. »
Every Friday, around twenty nationalities travel to rue Jourdain to listen to the sermon of the resolutely modern imam, making it a point of honor to deliver his speech in French. “I then translate for Arabic speakers. I subscribe to a reformist Islam, anxious to meet all the needs of the community: support for people at the end of life, educational support, mediation, chaplaincy… We need people in the field. »
“We have to break the amalgams. The message from heaven was not revealed to separate people”
The attendance of the faithful, 2,500 every weekend, is not without posing problems of access to the place of worship. And Messaoud Settati to receive the grievances – more or less kind – of the inhabitants of the district, exasperated to navigate between the vehicles parked in the surroundings. “We will have to find a parking solution or set up a shuttle. Some stigmatize the community whereas it is simply a question of a lack of places that we are trying to resolve…”, deplores the president of the Muslim association of Agenais.
Dialogue
Anxious to play his part in the life of the city, Mohamed Nayma integrated, upon his arrival, the interreligious committee and wishes to get involved in the next council of secularism, created by the municipality. “We have to break the amalgams. The message from heaven was not revealed to separate people. The Muslim community must be part of sharing and culture. »
Mohamed Nayma welcomed visitors to the mosque during Heritage Days on September 17 and 18.
Thierry Breton/SOUTHWEST
Married since this summer with an Agenaise, the imam aims to offer spiritual and civic support, especially for young people, issues of education that are particularly close to his heart. “The risk for this youth, who may be stigmatized and excluded from the professional field, is that they find their only source of spirituality on the Internet. If young Muslims do not have an imam who speaks their language, their worship can be exploited by manipulative people. However, we need a new generation which preaches the true values of Islam, those of peace. »
Sociability
And if Mohamed Nayma is also present on social networks, he concedes to using this tool “with a lot of moderation”. The imam of the mosque of Agen learns not to fall into the influence of the virtual, prefers the meeting. “You can’t be a knowledgeable person by watching videos, it’s not educational. Today, within the same household, we are sometimes more connected with the outside world than with those around us. We must favor sociability. »
Agen: “Muslims should not look for their religion on the Internet”