State authorities were made aware in June of Arabic and Quranic lessons being given to some young children on Sundays.
The authorities were apparently alerted by a report from the neighbourhood. Not much could be seen from the balcony of a flat in the Saint-Eutrope housing complex, which is part of Erilia’s social housing stock, as planks were used as screens to hide the activities inside. These were Arabic language and religious lessons given on Sunday mornings by residents of the neighbourhood – according to initial investigations, mothers from the residence acted as teachers, allegedly receiving some small change in return. It is not known how many children attended the classes. One source estimates that there were between 10 and 15 children, but hardly more, as the flat was very small. How old were they? Between 5 and 14 years.
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On the ground, on the afternoon of Friday August 18, in the neighbourhoods of Beisson and Saint-Eutrope, which are very quiet during this holiday period when many residents have left, no one seems to know anything. Like this “old resident” who was born in the neighbourhood and is out with her daughter:
I’m very surprised, I can’t believe it! We would know, when something happens here, we always know in the end. Maybe the person had applied for premises and didn’t get them? Maybe it’s just parents who couldn’t find anything else for their children to learn Arabic?
It’s not like it used to be here, there’s a lack of premises. There is only one mosque left, and even that is very small, and the group of free church people who pray outside on Wednesdays because they don’t have a room, but they don’t bother us. La Provence
