French Imam Files Lawsuit Against Interior Minister Over Controversial Dismissal

Mehdi Bouzid, also the founder of the online media IslamMag, will be assisted, as part of this procedure, by the CCIE (Collective Against Islamophobia in Europe) and his lawyers Maîtres Guezguez and El Hamamouchi. "When one uses one’s power to act and restrict individual freedoms and the freedoms of the imam as has been done, this is called an abuse of authority, which is reprehensible and punishable by law," says one of the plaintiff’s lawyers.

For the lawyer, the act of Minister Gérald Darmanin "touches on several fundamental freedoms: the freedom of expression of this imam, his freedom of worship and secularism". It is, according to his lawyers, an "outright interference in the Muslim cult" and a nameless persecution.

"The remarks that were made by the imam on modesty are regularly made by other religious leaders. It is not a question of disturbance to public order or related to gender equality. Moreover, he even had a discourse on modesty towards men," specifies Me Ouadie Elhamamouchi.