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French Government Reverses Decision to Close Controversial Cannes Mosque
Thursday 17 March 2022, by
Threatened with administrative closure by French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, who accused its leaders of making hateful statements against France, the Al Madina Mounawara mosque in Cannes will ultimately not be closed.
According to the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture, the Ministry of the Interior has renounced the "administrative closure" of the Al Madina Al Mounawara mosque, even though in January, Gérald Darmanin had announced that there was no other outcome due to the "anti-Semitic remarks" attributed to the leaders, reports France bleu.
"The decision taken last week by the Ministry of the Interior is not to take any administrative closure measure, in light of the elements provided by the new leaders of the mosque," the prefecture emphasized.
The remarks that threatened the closure had been made by the former imam, now retired. Through various means, the new leaders have shown that they are taking a much more conciliatory approach and that the administrative closure was therefore unjust. The renunciation of the closure delights the new imam, who says he is relieved to be able to offer a place of prayer to the 600 faithful in Cannes.