Politics & Governance

Malian man granted French citizenship for heroism after supermarket attack

A Muslim grocery store employee helped police kill a terrorist and save lives in Paris. The French government honoured the humble hero on Tuesday

Published

12 years ago

January 21, 2015

This Is Africa

A 24 year old Malian man, Lassana Bathily, received French citizenship for heroism. France’s Interior Minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, lauded Bathily for helping to save 15 people at a kosher supermarket, which came under terrorist attack earlier this month.

The Prime Minister Manuel Valls attended the ceremony which acknowledged Bathily’s courageous action.”People are all equal to me and skin colour isn’t a matter. France is the country of human rights,” Bathily said.

The man hid people in the stockroom, and sneaked out of the supermarket to speak with the police, who killed the terrorist and freed the hostages. Four people died in the incident.

Cazeneuve called Bathily’s actions “a symbol of an Islam of peace and tolerance,” according to AFP.

Source: New York Post/AFP