One of the most prominent Muslims in France, mufti Soheib Bencheikh arrived in Marseille in May 1995, acknowledging the need for reform of the religion he represents. His frankness has ensured that he is disliked in equal measure by the Algerian military government and the fundamentalists of the GIA or the FIS. Son of the former Imam of the Paris mosque, he is married, has a young daughter and yet he continues to champion his ideas even though it may cost him his life. His book "Marianne and the Koran" is a plea for root and branch reform of Islam. When he was introduced to the mayor of Marseille, Soheib Bencheikh said: "We have the same enemies: fundamentalism, xenophobia and ignorance..."