Nice Mayor Defies Court Order to Open En-Nour Mosque

"This is a new setback for Christian Estrosi. The administrative court ordered him to sign the definitive opening order of the place of worship," confirms Ouassini Mebarek, the lawyer for the association in charge of managing this place of worship. The city has three months to comply. But this decision is not to the liking of the municipality. It has clearly indicated that it will "always refuse to sign" the opening of this mosque, reports Nice Matin.

This is not the first time the city has taken this position. In 2018, the Marseille administrative court had once again ordered it to authorize the opening of the mosque. Since June 4, 2016, a prefectural decision has authorized this place of worship to welcome its worshippers due to the categorical refusal of the town hall. The mayor Christian Estrosi’s multiple appeals have been unsuccessful. "For eight years, we have alerted successive governments to the lack of transparency in the funding of this place of worship, and to the fact that this place belongs to a Saudi owner," explains the city.

"Only the State is responsible and accountable for this opening," insists the Nice municipality, "hoping that the law on separatism will change things in order to give mayors the power to decide the closure of places of worship whose financing remains opaque." "This new decision allows the En-Nour institute to obtain this order, an acquisition that the mayor refuses us. If he still does not do it, we have appeal routes, explains Mr. Mebarek. The prefect will in any case be able to sign it in place of the city."