{UAH} Lasana Bathily, a young Malian worker, officially named a French hero !!!

The ceremony has just ended a few hours ago! It took place in a vast reception hall at France's

Ministry of Internal Affairs. And it was attended by the Prime Minister himself, the Minister of Internal Affairs,

and the Minister of Justice and hundreds of top statesmen including Senators, MPs, senior security officers,

diplomats, representatives of the international press ( for the 200 media institutions that wanted to be represented),

representatives of the Jewish Community in France, family members and friends and well-wishers!

The very rich colourful ceremony was to honour Mr Lasana Bathily, a young Malian worker, aged 24, for his very exemplary

heroism that led him to courageously save the lives of 15 hostages, most of them Jews, who were indeed going to be shot 

dead by terrorist Amedy Coulibaly at Paris's supermarket grocery on January 9, 2015. The young worker, a practising Moslem,

rushed the hostages in a cold room in the basement of the supermarket, disconnested the supply of electricity to the cold freezers and 

requested the hostages to follow him out by entering into the elevator, a risk which the hostages feared to take. Young  Lasana Bathily 

escaped after having assured the hostages that he was going to secretly inform the police about their presence in that place.  A thing which 

he did and in addition helped to supply the crucial information that helped the security forces to give a successful assault on the premises, an 

attack that finished off the terrorist (who had already killed 4 hostages), and led to the rescue of the 15 hostages whom Bathily saved from certain death.

When the police and other security organs informed the French authorities and the public about Bathily's heroic action the entire public launched

a special petition that collected over 360,000 signatures from all over France requesting the grant of French nationality to Lasana Bathily

and at the same time asking the French President to decorate him with the French knighthood ( Légion d'Honneur )! The French nationality

has been granted today ( in normal ordinary circumstances it would have taken him minimum two years to have it ), and in addition he has received

on the spot a special French service passport, a letter from President François Hollande, and  an official medal awarded as a distinction to commemorate 

his heroism. And now that he has the nationality in his hands, the French knighthood would soon be granted him thanks to

a very strongly concerted national appeal that has popularly won the backing ot the entire French community, and is supported by a remarkable 

cross-section of people who include many of France's greatest names!

Having officially won state honours, young Lasana Bathily, who came to France six years ago to join his father, and did a certificate in painting, and

struggled to have stable employment because he had problems with his papers, will now have his life changed for ever thanks to his good heart!

He is now a person who has been received by the French President, by the President of Mali, by Israeli Premier Netanyahu who, on behalf of the

Jews in Israel, thanked him for his very brave action, and has been recently received by US Secretary of State John Kerry who was on tour in France.

And his action has been descriobed by France's Interior Minikster as a good sign that shows how Islam is a religion that embodies tolerance and

friendship. It has moved the entire world community to hear of this Moslem worker risking his life to save the mainly Jewish customers at the largely

Jewish-owned supermarket. And the world is not only praising Lasana Bathily but also wants to host him everywhere and thank him for this wonderful heroism. 

Thank you, young Mr Lasana Bathily, for having made your fellow Africans and your fellow Moslems proud! Your heroism is our glory!

Dr G.H. Kkolokolo ( Paris / France )