Great Mosque of Paris Distances Itself from Imam’s Comments on Anti-Semitism Surge

In a statement published on November 14 on its website, the Great Mosque of Paris recalled that "Imam Abdelali Mamoun is not the spokesperson for the Great Mosque of Paris and that he expresses himself in the media on a personal basis. His remarks do not follow any directive from the institution." The Great Mosque of Paris "does not deny, minimize or relativize the set of anti-Semitic acts that have occurred in France in recent weeks, and has full confidence in the figures released by the Ministry of the Interior and Overseas. It strongly deplores the resurgence of anti-Semitic acts and condemns them completely," the note states.

The Rector of the Great Mosque of Paris, Chems-eddine Hafiz, who signed this press release, specifies that he "spoke" with Abdelali Mamoun after his intervention on Monday on RMC with Apolline de Malherbe. The latter assured him "of his regret for having been very confused" and that he did not intend to "call into question the alarming figures of anti-Semitic acts in France." "Through its history, its identity and the message it carries today, the Great Mosque of Paris reaffirms its full commitment to the fight against anti-Semitism and any other form of racism," the note concludes.