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Fatwa CenterDealing with descendants of French colonists
Question
Assalaamu alaykom. I am from Algeria. My question is the following: Algeria was colonized by France from 1830 to 1962. During that time, France did terrible things, including rape, and I do not know when, but the French were part of the groups who colonized America, and now their sons and supporters live anywhere in the world. If I interact with people from France or outside France, French people and non-French people, will that make me a person who accepts what happened? And will I be considered a Dayyooth (person who has no protective jealousy for his womenfolk) if I interact and work and talk with people who may be the sons and supporters of those who raped, because they are everywhere, and mostly in America because the earlier groups from France went there? Please do not refer to other fatwas and answer directly. May Allah reward you.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
It is well-established by religious texts that no person is held accountable for the sins of another person. Allah, the Exalted, says (what means):
· {Every soul, for what it has earned, will be retained.} [Quran 74:38]
· {And every soul earns not (blame) except against itself, and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another.} [Quran 6:164]
Therefore, the current generation shall not be held accountable for the sins committed by those past generations. There is no harm in dealing with them in any lawful way. Allah, the Exalted, says (what means): {Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes – from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.} [Quran 60:8]
Whoever is peaceful, it is allowed to deal with him, even if his ancestors committed tremendous evils.
Allah knows best.
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