On the occasion of the national holiday on 14 July in France, the Moroccan activist Latifa Ibn Ziaten was made Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor.
Latifa Ibn Ziaten is the mother of Imad Ibn Ziaten, the first soldier killed by Mohamed Merah in Toulouse. Since the assassination of her son, she has been actively campaigning for youth and peace in the French suburbs through the eponymous association Imad Ibn Ziaten which she created in April 2012.
Invited by the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME) at the 2015 Casablanca Book Fair, Latifa Ibn Ziaten had revealed that she forgave Merah, the killer of her son because he moved from home to home, deprived of the love of his parents, and was brought up in violence, crime and hatred. "
"I agree that this a daily battle against the radicalization of youth," she had said during the presentation of her book "Dead for France".
The Legion of Honour is the highest French distinction and one of the most famous in the world. It is presented on behalf of the Head of State to reward the most deserving citizens.