Muslim man hailed for life-saving courage during Paris siege
By RAPHAEL SATTER

PARIS (AP) — At a kosher supermarket in Paris, a quick-thinking Muslim employee hides several Jewish shoppers in the basement before sneaking out to brief police on the hostage-taker upstairs. In the town of Dammartin-en-Goele, a poker-faced businessman fools a pair of gunmen into believing they're alone in the building before being allowed to leave unharmed.

In the days after the bloody end of twin French hostage crises Friday, stories of life-saving courage are beginning to filter out. One of the most striking is the story of Lassana Bathily, a young immigrant from Mali who literally provided police with the key to ending the hostage crisis at the supermarket.

Bathily was in the store's underground stockroom when gunman Amedy Coulibaly burst in upstairs, according to accounts given to French media and to a friend of Bathily's who spoke to The Associated Press. Bathily turned off the stockroom's freezer and hid a group of frightened shoppers inside before sneaking out through a fire escape to speak to police. Initially confused for the attacker, he was forced to the ground and handcuffed.

Once police realized their mistake, he provided them with the key they needed to open the supermarket's metal blinds and mount their assault.

"The guy was so courageous," said Mohammed Amine, a 33-year-old friend and former coworker of Bathily's who spoke to him about the assault on Saturday.

Witnesses and authorities have corroborated Bathily's account.

A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to talk on the record, explained that the key Bathily gave police allowed them to storm the supermarket without having to punch their way through the shutters.

About 40 kilometers (25 miles) to the northeast, another hostage's cool head helped keep a bad day from getting worse. Businessman Michel Catalano was waiting on a supplier at his office in Dammartin-en-Goele when he saw brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi approaching with Kalashnikov rifles. As his colleague, a 26-year-old he identified only as Lilian, ran to hide, he distracted the gunmen. He offered them coffee and — after a brief exchange of fire with authorities outside — bandaged one of the brother's necks.

"I stayed an hour with them," Catalano told AP. "I was never scared, because I had only one idea in my head: 'They should not go to the end (of the hallway) to see Lilian, that's all.' That's what kept me calm."

Eventually, Catalano was released by the hostages as police swapped text messages with Lilian inside. Just before dusk, the brothers ran outside, guns blazing. They died in a hail of return fire.

Back at the kosher supermarket, police used Bathily's key to mount their assault, killing Coulibaly and freeing 15 hostages.

Amid the bravery, there was also tragedy.

Police found four hostages dead inside the supermarket, apparently shot by Coulibaly when he entered the store.

Among them was Yohan Cohen, a 22-year-old who Amine said was "someone amazing, friendly, who likes (and) who respects people."

"I'm Muslim and he's Jewish," said Amine, an immigrant from Morocco. "But there's such respect between us. We're like brothers.

"They took my best friend."


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-01-12

Very cool!

Good man and I am glad he is alive and well,unfortunately,one swallow does not make a summer,and there are so many of his faith that are far from being like him

Good man and I am glad he is alive and well,unfortunately,one swallow does not make a summer,and there are so many of his faith that are far from being like him

Wow. Your glass is just plain empty.

Thats the kind of attitude that keeps the haters hating.

So all the outrages across the world being perpetrated by members of this faith are not worth worrying about?

A very good man and real example to the rest of us. I'm sure there are lots more like him in the Muslim community, but their voices are drowned out by the violent scumbags.

Not at all, but the the perpetrators of such atrocities still represent a minority. Hate terrorists, for they are sullying the faith. Don't tar everyone with the same brush

I am in no doubt that there are evil people in all faiths and good ones,but you must see a pattern here among member's of Islam,?It is no good closing your eyes and chanting. Oh it's only a very small minority that do not like other faiths,"there are none so blind as those who do not want to see"

Not at all, but the the perpetrators of such atrocities still represent a minority.

Islam has 1.57 billion adherents. A "minority" is still a heck of a lot of terrorists.

Particularly when your 24hour news networks and online news can manipulate and blow it out of proportion.

It's a little more complicated. While I will concede that the Muslim faith is often repressive and misused, depending on the country you're in, I also can't live amongst my co-workers who are muslim and make any link between them practicing their faith and a terrorist.

Also, remind me again, is it Eastasia, or Eurasia that we're at war with just now?

On a further note - I personally think all organised religions are obsolete, so I'm not really trying to sing their praises either. The world would be better off without it all.

If only the good people of the Muslim community could follow this lead and help authorities root out the violent conspirators in their midst. Certainly there are heroes and lovely people among the Islamic community. They could change the world if they could find the courage.

Not at all, but the the perpetrators of such atrocities still represent a minority. Hate terrorists, for they are sullying the faith. Don't tar everyone with the same brush

They do not represent anyone at all, they represent their faith which instructs them to kill, to hate jews, gays and apostates and to view all but Muslims as the worst of people

Not at all, but the the perpetrators of such atrocities still represent a minority. Hate terrorists, for they are sullying the faith. Don't tar everyone with the same brush

They do not represent anyone at all, they represent their faith which instructs them to kill, to hate jews, gays and apostates and to view all but Muslims as the worst of people

You must be well versed in it. Thanks for the education Prof'.

The world needs the other 1.6 billion Muslins to be like him and peace will be upon this earth...

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Particularly when your 24hour news networks and online news can manipulate and blow it out of proportion.

It's a little more complicated. While I will concede that the Muslim faith is often repressive and misused, depending on the country you're in, I also can't live amongst my co-workers who are muslim and make any link between them practicing their faith and a terrorist.

Also, remind me again, is it Eastasia, or Eurasia that we're at war with just now?

The fact that Islam is a religion that often promotes intolerance and violence is not incompatible with the fact that many Muslims have the common decency, compassion and courage to overcome that. This man was heroic because of his own character, not because he was the follower of a religion. Unfortunately, some who are weaker and less intelligent are driven by Islam to committing stupid, senseless and vicious acts of violence. The world would be better off without any of the major monotheistic religions but, given its recent record, Islam might make a good first choice for abolition.

Also, any comparisons between the George Orwell novel and the real world are not terribly enlightening in my opinion.

Well then, its just a plain miracle that I'm not murdered in my sleep every night by all the locals round here who are evidently just waiting to kill and persecute the infidels at the behest of their faith.

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Particularly when your 24hour news networks and online news can manipulate and blow it out of proportion.

It's a little more complicated. While I will concede that the Muslim faith is often repressive and misused, depending on the country you're in, I also can't live amongst my co-workers who are muslim and make any link between them practicing their faith and a terrorist.

Also, remind me again, is it Eastasia, or Eurasia that we're at war with just now?

The fact that Islam is a religion that often promotes intolerance and violence is not incompatible with the fact that many Muslims have the common decency, compassion and courage to overcome that. This man was heroic because of his own character, not because he was the follower of a religion. Unfortunately, some who are weaker and less intelligent are driven by Islam to committing stupid, senseless and vicious acts of violence. The world would be better off without any of the major monotheistic religions but, given its recent record, Islam might make a good first choice for abolition.

Also, any comparisons between the George Orwell novel and the real world are not terribly enlightening in my opinion.

I'm not trying to enlighten you, but to be perfectly honest, the state the world is in today, comparisons to Orwell seem more than reasonable to me.

I do like the way you worded your paragraph though. Ultimately the person should be judged on their own merits, not that of religion.

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Well then, its just a plain miracle that I'm not murdered in my sleep every night by all the locals round here who are evidently just waiting to kill and persecute the infidels at the behest of their faith.

Its no miracle. It is simply that the locals are virtually all decent people who just want to live their lives in peace. I also know many extremely decent Muslim people who I would trust with my life. It is not them I have a problem with, it is their religion, which can often drive the weak minded among them to intolerance.

It's the radicals and their grotesque interpretations of the Koran that are more to blame than the religion itself surely. Which once again comes back to people.

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Well then, its just a plain miracle that I'm not murdered in my sleep every night by all the locals round here who are evidently just waiting to kill and persecute the infidels at the behest of their faith.

Its no miracle. It is simply that the locals are virtually all decent people who just want to live their lives in peace. I also know many extremely decent Muslim people who I would trust with my life. It is not them I have a problem with, it is their religion, which can often drive the weak minded among them to intolerance.

If as you say the religion can change them in a heartbeat, how could they be trusted with a non Muslim life?

Their life is their religion.

Particularly when your 24hour news networks and online news can manipulate and blow it out of proportion.

It's a little more complicated. While I will concede that the Muslim faith is often repressive and misused, depending on the country you're in, I also can't live amongst my co-workers who are muslim and make any link between them practicing their faith and a terrorist.

Also, remind me again, is it Eastasia, or Eurasia that we're at war with just now?

While I will concede that the Muslim faith is often repressive and misused Is that the understatement of the year, but I'm sure the population of Nigeria would agree with you.

If only the good people of the Muslim community could follow this lead and help authorities root out the violent conspirators in their midst. Certainly there are heroes and lovely people among the Islamic community. They could change the world if they could find the courage.

They do and they did. One of the coppers who got shot in cold blood was a muslim too trying to stop the carnage.

Encouraging to read a positive story of this sort!

The media are so often skewed in another (unhelpful) direction!

Fair point Giddyup - The Boko Haram business has been particularly nasty.

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It's the radicals and their grotesque interpretations of the Koran that are more to blame than the religion itself surely. Which once again comes back to people.

The problem is that the radicals can find plenty in the Koran to justify their grotesque view of the world and convince gullible idiots that their view is the correct one. Most Muslims try to ignore this stuff like Christians and Jews tend to completely ignore Leviticus. There are a few reformers in the Muslim world who try to counter this, but they usually end up receiving death threats, which might explain why there are all too few of them.

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Well then, its just a plain miracle that I'm not murdered in my sleep every night by all the locals round here who are evidently just waiting to kill and persecute the infidels at the behest of their faith.

Its no miracle. It is simply that the locals are virtually all decent people who just want to live their lives in peace. I also know many extremely decent Muslim people who I would trust with my life. It is not them I have a problem with, it is their religion, which can often drive the weak minded among them to intolerance.

If as you say the religion can change them in a heartbeat, how could they be trusted with a non Muslim life?

Their life is their religion.

I am referring to individuals I trust, not weak minded idiots who can be changed in a heartbeat by illogical and violent propaganda.

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It's the radicals and their grotesque interpretations of the Koran that are more to blame than the religion itself surely. Which once again comes back to people.

The problem is that the radicals can find plenty in the Koran to justify their grotesque view of the world and convince gullible idiots that their view is the correct one. Most Muslims try to ignore this stuff like Christians and Jews tend to completely ignore Leviticus. There are a few reformers in the Muslim world who try to counter this, but they usually end up receiving death threats, which might explain why there are all too few of them.

Yeah, actually I just skimmed through some choice passages and you're right, there is certainly no shortage of bloody rhetoric.

I appreciate that you are making an argument based on fact and observance and not the often seen "All Muslims are terrorists" emotional response that pours so easily from the mouths of those who spend their days watching Fox News or some other equally Murdochulous news source.

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Well then, its just a plain miracle that I'm not murdered in my sleep every night by all the locals round here who are evidently just waiting to kill and persecute the infidels at the behest of their faith.

Its no miracle. It is simply that the locals are virtually all decent people who just want to live their lives in peace. I also know many extremely decent Muslim people who I would trust with my life. It is not them I have a problem with, it is their religion, which can often drive the weak minded among them to intolerance.

If as you say the religion can change them in a heartbeat, how could they be trusted with a non Muslim life?

Their life is their religion.

I am referring to individuals I trust, not weak minded idiots who can be changed in a heartbeat by illogical and violent propaganda.

That covers about 1.5 billion, so not easy to find the rest.