Lunel: Latifa Ibn Ziaten to Mistral students: “Respect yourself and have confidence”

Latifa Ibn Ziaten, le proviseur et la référente parcours citoyen à Mistral. Midi Libre – JEAN PIERRE

The mother of Imad Ibn Ziaten, the first military victim of terrorism in Toulouse in 2012, who has since become involved in supporting youth, was invited by Mrap Lunel.

These are messages of hope that, for almost two hours, Latifa Ibn Ziaten delivered, this Thursday morning, to the hundred 4th grade students from Mistral college gathered in the multipurpose room of the school. establishment. The mother of Imad Ibn Ziaten, the first soldier assassinated in Toulouse in 2012 by the terrorist Mohammed Merah, was invited all day to the school at the initiative of Mrap Lunel and in partnership with the Mrap Lunel initiative. rsquo;State and the City.

A commitment to youth

Coordinated by the management of the college, in particular by the team of history and French teachers, Latifa Ibn Ziaten’s intervention took place in two stages: in the morning in front of the students then at the end of the day, in a conference, in front of the general public. Tireless and pugnacious, determined to commit to young people since the assassination of her son, both in the neighborhoods, schools and prisons and even mosques, Latifa Ibn Ziaten is committed to supporting young people. is based on his personal journey « integration » to pass his « values » of courage and respect.

Questions by the dozen

Born in Morocco, she first revealed the family circumstances which pushed her, at the age of 17, to leave her native country for France. « I had to make my place, fit in, work, fight to succeed,” she repeated during particularly intense and very direct exchanges. with students, visibly captivated, who were not afraid to speak in public and followed up with questions.
to these young people, Latifa Ibn Ziaten first said: « Look at this woman in front of you who arrived in France without speaking a word of French but who was courageous. Today, I am proud to be of Moroccan origin but I am French. I am Muslim and proud of it but I practice for myself, in a personal way. »

Respect and family

Then she dwelled on the assassination of her son, her quest for vain explanations from Merah, the mourning that she is unable to do and her will immediate opportunity to meet young people.« Losing a 30-year-old son is very hard but every time I provide support to a young person, I see my son growing up,” she said.  Latifa Ibn Ziaten especially took advantage of the questions to convey her messages to her interlocutors: « Don't talk to people you don't know on the Internet, don't hesitate to ask for help. We must be courageous and proud but manage to control this pride which makes us bad. » Insisting on respect for the values ​​of the Republic and on the importance of parents and family, Latifa Ibn Ziaten gave an education lesson: « The foundation begins at home, parents are important. We need love, support and sharing, she stressed, calling on each student to share « at least one meal per day with the family. »
At the end of the speech, the guest spoke about her projects with her association Imad for Youth and Peace: the creation of a parents' school and the establishment of referent mothers and grandmothers in the neighborhoods. Youth interlocutors « who will take up the torch the day I am no longer here,” she said.

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