La Grand-Combe, France – The murder of 22-year-old Aboubakar Cissé has sent shockwaves through France’s Muslim community and beyond. The Malian-born young man, who had trained as a carpenter and volunteered at the Khadidja Mosque in La Grand-Combe, was found dead inside the mosque on 25 April 2025. Police say he had been stabbed dozens of times while praying early Friday morning. In a video later found on his phone, the killer could be heard shouting “I did it” and hurling insults at Allah as Cissé lay dying. Relatives immediately branded the slaying “cowardly, racist and islamophobic,”.
Who Was Aboubakar Cissé?
Aboubakar Cissé arrived in France from Mali in 2017 to join family already living in Paris, and later moved to the Gard department. He enrolled in a vocational school (lycée) in the nearby town of Bessèges to train in carpentry. Devout and outgoing, Cissé quickly became a fixture at the Khadidja Mosque in La Grand-Combe. Worshippers recall him cleaning the mosque, setting up for prayers, and greeting everyone warmly. “Everyone knew him, in the mosque and on the street,” said one friend. “Aboubakar would say hello to everyone and ask about each person’s news”. Because of his kindness and reliability, the mosque leaders even entrusted him with the building’s keys. In fact, Cissé was often the first person at the mosque on Friday mornings, sweeping floors and preparing for the weekly prayer service. His family called him a “role model for all of us,” emphasizing that he was “very kind and helpful” – qualities that made his death all the more devastatingl.
The Attack at Khadidja Mosque
On the morning of Friday, 25 April, Cissé was alone in the mosque, tending to his usual tasks before the main prayer service. A young man, unknown to the mosque, walked in with his shoes on, clearly unfamiliar with Islamic customs. He approached Cissé, exchanged a few words, and positioned himself behind him as if imitating the prayer. But as Cissé knelt, the man suddenly pulled out a knife and attacked. He stabbed him repeatedly — over 50 times — in the back and torso. The assailant filmed the entire act with his phone, mocking the victim and insulting Islam before fleeing. Worshippers found Cissé’s body just before Friday prayers. He was declared dead at the scene.
Suspect, Arrest and Investigation
Within days, investigators identified the suspect as Olivier H., a 21-year-old French national of Bosnian heritage who had been living in the Grand-Combe area. He disappeared immediately after the attack, triggering a frantic police search. On 27 April, Italian authorities arrested him after he walked into a police station in Pistoia, Tuscany, and confessed to the killing. French prosecutors announced that he had surrendered to Italian police late Sunday night and was awaiting extradition back to France.
Outrage and Solidarity in France
The brazen nature of the crime prompted immediate outrage from French officials. President Emmanuel Macron tweeted that “racism and hatred based on religion will never have a place in France,” and offered support to “our fellow Muslim compatriots.” Prime Minister François Bayrou denounced the killing as an “Islamophobic atrocity”, while Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin called it a “despicable” crime that “wounds the hearts of all believers, of all Muslims in France”. The national Muslim council (CFCM) called the attack an “anti-Muslim terrorist attack” and warned communities to be vigilant.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered on Sunday, 27 April, at Place de la République in Paris to honor Aboubakar Cissé and protest against Islamophobia. Faith leaders, human rights groups and political activists joined, many holding placards declaring “Islamophobia kills, the state is complicit”. “We have a system, we have a state that is afraid, and it is this fear that we are facing head-on,” said activist Assa Traoré at the Paris rally, reflecting widespread anger over what many see as a climate of intolerance. Valentin Stéle, director of SOS Racisme, remarked that the killing illustrated years of “hate speech targeting the Muslim community” – a narrative painting Muslims as “not fully French” or disloyal.
In La Grand-Combe itself, more than 1,000 people held a silent march on Sunday to memorialize Cissé. At these gatherings, speakers warned that Islamophobia has become normalized in parts of French society. Mohammed Moussaoui, head of the French Muslim Council, told national radio that most Muslims in France “feel that anti-Muslim hatred is not taken as seriously as other hate crimes.”. Likewise, mosque rector Abdallah Zekri denounced the country’s “Islamophobic climate” for having enabled such violence.
Not Just a Tragedy — A Question for Us All
The tragic death of Aboubakar Cissé has shaken many across France and beyond. As communities mourn, this moment calls for reflection — not only on the violence itself but on the broader climate that allows such hatred to grow. May his memory be a reminder of the values we must uphold: dignity, justice, and peace for all.
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