France to Inspect 89 Mosques Under New Anti-Separatism Law

"When the law is promulgated, I will have the services of the Ministry of the Interior organize the control of the 89 separatist places of worship in the weeks that follow," said Gérald Darmanin. Currently under examination in the Law Commission in the Senate, the draft law "strengthening republican principles" has passed the first reading stage. The text in its Article 44 provides for a two-month closure procedure, by the state authorities, for places of worship in the event of acts or statements inciting hatred or violence. The country has "2500 Muslim places of worship".

The 89 places of worship concerned are spread over 33 departments and are currently the subject of "special monitoring", the minister specified to the AFP, adding that 17 have already been closed after 56 checks in recent weeks. Among them, 14 located in Bouzonville and Forbach (Moselle), in Marseille (2), Thiers (Puy-de-Dôme), in Le Pré-Saint-Gervais, Sevran and Neuilly-Plaisance (Seine-Saint-Denis), in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, Vitry-sur-Seine as well as a third in Val-de-Marne, in Montmagny, Goussainville and Villiers-le-Bel in Val-d’Oise. Their reopening is conditional on compliance with safety standards.

The closure of two others is part of "judicial or administrative procedures" in Villeneuve-d’Ascq (Nord) and Bobigny (Seine-Saint-Denis) and that of another is linked to its "link with terrorist activity". This is the Pantin mosque (Seine-Saint-Denis) closed after the assassination of Samuel Paty. According to the ministry, all these places of worship may be subject to "new checks" after the entry into force of the law and its new provisions.

"In accordance with my instructions, the state services will launch a massive and unprecedented action against separatism. [...] 76 mosques suspected of separatism will be checked in the coming days and those that will have to be closed will be," Gérald Darmanin had announced in December 2020. This figure is now 89. According to the minister’s explanations, these figures evolve according to information "from territorial intelligence".