Rhône (Décines): 572 children deprived of Arabic and Quran classes after a prefectural decree

According to the decree consulted by Saphirnews, this measure follows a check carried out on December 17, 2025 by the Departmental Service for Youth, Engagement and Sports (SDJES). The agents found that the association did not have the status of organizer of collective reception of minors (ACM) and that the premises used were not declared. The prefecture justifies this ban by the lack of health monitoring and verification of the integrity of the staff, considering that these shortcomings present risks to the physical and moral safety of the children.

This decision comes in a context of tensions between the state services and the local Muslim structures, after the termination of the contracts of the Al-Kindi high school. The CID officials had previously denounced unfair accusations, particularly after the mention of their structure in a government report on political Islamism. For now, the mosque management has a two-month deadline to challenge the decree before the administrative courts.

The Council of Mosques of the Rhône (CMR) denounces a persistent "legal ambiguity" on the status of religious and linguistic teachings within the mosques. Azzedine Gaci, rector of the Villeurbanne mosque, recalls that working groups had been set up in June 2025 to clarify whether these activities required a declaration under the collective reception of minors. According to the CMR, the lack of a precise regulatory framework exposes religious associations to legal insecurity and deprives families of educational resources without institutional alternative.

The reopening of the school is subject to the administrative compliance of the association with the SDJES. The officials must file an official declaration and present an educational and pedagogical project specific to the extracurricular activities. An on-site verification by a state agent will then have to ascertain the effectiveness of these corrective measures before any resumption of the reception of children.