<p>A Muslim man, Lassana Bathily, who saved several shoppers' lives during the Paris terrorist attack has been granted French citizenship.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Bathily, an employee at Hyper Cacher kosher supermarket in Vincennes, helped to guide a group of hostages into a downstairs walk-in freezer while the gunman was preparing to kill them Jan 9.<br /><br />Bathily, who was given French citizenship Tuesday, was praised by Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve during a ceremony in the presence of Prime Minister Manuel Valls Tuesday, the Daily Mail reported Wednesday.<br /><br />He was hailed as a hero by the French media for saving many during the hostage crisis in the Paris supermarket.<br /><br />They were taken hostage by Amedy Coulibaly, who killed four Jewish hostages Jan 9 before being shot dead by police. He is also believed to have shot dead a policewoman the day before.<br /><br />Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said Mali-born Bathily's act of humanity has become a symbol of an Islam of peace and tolerance.<br /><br />"Tonight I am very proud and deeply touched," Bathily, who went to school in Paris, said with tears in his eyes.<br /><br />He humbly stressed that he does not consider himself a hero, saying: "I am Lassana. I'll stay true to myself."<br /><br />Bathily has lived in France for the past nine years and applied for citizenship last year.<br />Three days of violence began in Paris Jan 7 when brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi burst into the office of a French magazine Charlie Hebdo, killing 12 people.<br /></p>
<p>A Muslim man, Lassana Bathily, who saved several shoppers' lives during the Paris terrorist attack has been granted French citizenship.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Bathily, an employee at Hyper Cacher kosher supermarket in Vincennes, helped to guide a group of hostages into a downstairs walk-in freezer while the gunman was preparing to kill them Jan 9.<br /><br />Bathily, who was given French citizenship Tuesday, was praised by Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve during a ceremony in the presence of Prime Minister Manuel Valls Tuesday, the Daily Mail reported Wednesday.<br /><br />He was hailed as a hero by the French media for saving many during the hostage crisis in the Paris supermarket.<br /><br />They were taken hostage by Amedy Coulibaly, who killed four Jewish hostages Jan 9 before being shot dead by police. He is also believed to have shot dead a policewoman the day before.<br /><br />Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said Mali-born Bathily's act of humanity has become a symbol of an Islam of peace and tolerance.<br /><br />"Tonight I am very proud and deeply touched," Bathily, who went to school in Paris, said with tears in his eyes.<br /><br />He humbly stressed that he does not consider himself a hero, saying: "I am Lassana. I'll stay true to myself."<br /><br />Bathily has lived in France for the past nine years and applied for citizenship last year.<br />Three days of violence began in Paris Jan 7 when brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi burst into the office of a French magazine Charlie Hebdo, killing 12 people.<br /></p>