Morocco May Acquire Ownership of Major Mosque Under Construction in Angers, France

The mosque, the land adjoining it, planned to house a cultural center and a parking lot, this is the package that the Association of Muslims of Angers (AMA) wants to offer to the Kingdom of Morocco, reports Sud Ouest.

The purpose of this donation is that the mosque be in good hands, explains the board of directors of the AMA. The Angers mosque is designed to accommodate 2,435 worshippers, which should make it one of the four largest mosques in France.

The land was acquired for 305,000 €, with donations from the faithful. Construction began in 2014 and is now at a standstill for lack of money. About 1.50 million euros are still missing, specifies the mayor, Christophe Bréchu, embarrassed by this gift, aware that no public money is invested in this mosque project, estimated at 4 million euros, since it has always been said that the mosque would not be financed by a foreign country.

And here is the mayor facing these questions: Will there be a Moroccan imam? Will the sermons be said in Arabic or French? Can the community and the State stand up against such a decision? The mayor who, at the same time as the prefect, must admit that tens of thousands of worshippers will be under the tutelage of Morocco, which will manage the premises in perpetuity, even though we are in France, a country so attached to secularism and independence, adds the same source.

The final decision is expected from the AMA members on September 25.