Then they wrote “Allahu akbar” in the guestbook and left. But don’t be concerned: the local imams says, “I went to see the young man after to explain to him that this is not how we do it.”

“We do it,” more famously and lethally, in other ways.

“Islamist intrusion into Verdun Carmel,” translated from “Intrusion islamiste au carmel de Verdun,” L’Est Républicain, November 16, 2017 (thanks to David):

The facts date from last Friday at the time of Vespers. Two men were welcomed for the service and urged the sisters to convert to Islam. No physical violence was perpetrated.

“They came back, a sister welcomed them and she talked with them”. Bishop Gusching, bishop of Verdun, returned on Monday again to the religious community of Verdun, ten sisters strong. The Carmelites are still in shock over what happened to them on Friday, November 10, around 5PM.

At the time of the Vespers service, two individuals about thirty years old, bearded and dressed normally, entered the Carmelite convent of Verdun.

After talking with the sister at the reception, the latter told them that the Office of Vespers would soon begin. “They asked her if they could go to the chapel,” said the bishop. “She said yes”.

Once in the chapel, “they prayed in Arabic during Vespers,” says Bishop Gusching. “They presented themselves as divine messengers and told them: if you do not convert, you will go to hell.”

“Allahu akbar” in the guestbook

In a statement, Guillaume Dupont, prosecutor of the Republic for Verdun, explained that at the end of the Office, one of the two men “would have written the words ‘Allahu akbar’ on the guestbook of the church”.

Of course, we immediately think of the circumstances of the murder of a priest which took place in the church of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray on July 26, 2016. But no physical violence was perpetrated at the against the sisters present. And no connection with Islamist terrorism has been demonstrated.

The two men finally left as they had come “thanking the sister for her welcome,” said the bishop….

According to Abdelkrim Aïtelkaid, Imam of Verdun, “the youngest was converted two or three months ago”. With the other individual, “they came to the mosque” and did not behave normally. “That day, I was not there, but the community stopped them a bit and put them out. I went to see the young man after to explain to him that this is not how we do it.” As for what happened on November 10: “It’s not about doing that. It is not normal. We are not going to violate the sacredness of a place of worship.” In addition “I will soon go see the sisters and the bishop”.