French imam renounces Muslim killers of Normandy slain priest as 'not part of civilization and humanity'

A French imam renounced the two young men responsible for the Catholic Church attack in Normandy as not belonging to the same civilization and humanity with everyone else.

According to a report by the Associated Press, Christians and Muslims from across France gathered in a mosque in Normandy on Friday to show their solidarity. This came about after two radicalized young men attacked a church in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray near Rouen, Normandy during Tuesday's morning mass. The extremists reportedly filmed themselves as they delivered a sermon in Arabic around the altar before they slit the throat of Fr. Jacques Hamel, 85. They also shouted "Allahu Akbar" or "God is great" when they came rushing out of the church and gunned down by the police.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) terrorist group claimed responsibility for the church attack as well as the terrorist attack in Nice where 84 people died.

"You have the wrong civilisation, because you are not a part of civilisation," declared Abdelatif Hmitou, a French imam, as he addressed the extremists. "You have the wrong humanity, because you are not a part of humanity."

"You have the wrong idea about us (Muslims), and we won't forgive you for this," continued the enraged imam. "How did the idea reach your mind that we might loathe those who helped us ... to pray to Allah in this town? How could you think that, Mr Killer? Mr Criminal?"

The imam referred to the symbolic gesture by the Sainte Therese church near the town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray when it apportioned a part of its land for Muslims to build their mosque.

Fr. Pierre Belhache, who oversees the relations with the Muslim community, asserted the unity between the two religious communities and that they "won't let anyone divide us. It is so rich to have these differences but still be together."