Hundreds of mourners gathered on Friday in La Grand-Combe, France, for the funeral of 22-year-old Aboubakar Cisse, a Malian man violently murdered in a mosque last week.
The murder has deeply shaken the country, with many calling it an act of religious hatred.
Around 700 people, including local worshippers and community leaders, attended the funeral at the Khadija Mosque.
The ceremony, held in front of Cisse’s coffin covered in green cloth, was a poignant tribute to a life lost too soon.
Cisse, from Yaguine in southwestern Mali, was to be buried there at a later date.
His death, which occurred in the peaceful setting of a mosque, has drawn widespread condemnation.
“This is an absolutely incredible act of hatred,” said Dominique Sopo, a representative from SOS Racisme.
French authorities are investigating the killing as a possible racially motivated crime.
A man, suspected of stabbing Cisse repeatedly before filming the attack, surrendered to Italian police after a three-day manhunt.
The suspect, a French national of Bosnian origin, is awaiting extradition.
The incident has put pressure on Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, a right-wing politician known for his tough immigration stance.
Retailleau faced criticism for not visiting the scene or meeting Cisse’s family.
He controversially commented that Cisse was in France without a residence permit.
