Currently on mission in Algeria to write the next Petit Futé guide to that country, I have just visited the monastery of Tibhirine. It is still not much visited but I must say that even if I was a bit scared before going there (while everything is really quiet now in this region) the will to pay homage to these monks and to talk about them accurately in the guide was stronger. And I'll never forget this visit. Rarely have I been so moved on one of my missions. In this picture I am smiling but just before, as I was gathering at the tomb of the 7 murdered monks, my throat closed and I held back my tears. We had to stay dignified. This is where the seven monks who were kidnapped and then murdered in 1996 during the black decade when terrorists set fire to Algeria, killing 250,000 people, lived. These monks then chose, in spite of the terrorists' threats to stay at the monastery as close as possible to the Algerians, to whom they were very close and who loved them, out of solidarity, not to abandon them. The film "Of Gods and Men" shows this very well. This picture was taken in the courtyard at the entrance near the statue of Mary. Frédéric has been living here for 3 years and he is showing the monastery around. He moved here because he wanted to continue to convey the message of peace and tolerance of the disappeared monks who were so attached to the Algerian people and to Algeria. Today the monastery lives only on donations from visitors and income from its small farm. I hope by my article in the next Algeria guide to push the visitors to come even more numerous so that we never forget these monks, these heroes.

www.monastere-tibhirine.org