Hundreds gather to remember French beheading victim

Hundreds gather to remember French beheading victim

Hundreds of people gathered on Sunday at a mosque near the French city of Lyon to remember the victim who was killed two days ago by one of his employees.

During a memorial service, local Muslims prayed for 54-year-old Herve Cornara, manager of a gas factory in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, 30 kilometers south of Lyon. Cornara was killed on Friday by his employee and suspected Muslim extremist Yassine Sahli, 35, who beheaded him and pinned his head to the factory’s gate.

Many Muslims who attended the memorial denounced the killing, calling it an isolate terror attack by an extremist.

“We also are deeply hurt. It seems that whenever things like this happen, the Islamic religion is always attacked. So we are here to call for the end of this barbarity. We are against terrorism of all forms,” said a local Muslim.

Also attending the service were residents from nearby suburbs of Lyon, members of local Catholic churches, who came to show solidarity in the face of extremism.

“We came here to show solidarity with our Muslim friends, because we know they are often the primary victims in religious extremism. So we are here to show our support,” said a resident of Lyon.

According to French media reports, Salhi told police he had argued with Cornara before the killing. One of their work colleagues also said the two men had clashed days before the attack.

Salhi was arrested on Friday and France’s security authorities say he has been known to intelligence services for possible ties with Islamic extremists but has no arrest record. An investigation into the attack is underway.

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