Sarthe Mosque Closed for 6 Months Over Alleged Extremist Teaching

"The teaching provided within the Koranic school housed within the place of worship managed by the aforementioned associations legitimizes and values armed jihad as well as hatred of Jews or the killing of homosexuals," states the prefectural decree issued on October 25. Due to "the very high level of terrorist threat, it is appropriate to order the closure of the place of worship the ’Allonnes mosque’, managed by the ’Association allonnaise pour le Juste Milieu’ (AAJM) and ’Al Qalam’ associations, for a period of six months, in order to prevent the commission of acts of terrorism," specifies the prefecture of Sarthe.

In a press release, the AAJM reacted to the "serious accusations made by the Ministry of the Interior" against the managers and imams who officiate in the Allonnes mosque. "The Minister of the Interior is once again distinguished by an approach and a policy of display," it denounced. "We regret the harm done to the worshippers who frequent the mosque and to the Muslim community who are wronged and stigmatized, and more generally to the French who may believe they are in danger due to the false and irresponsible accusations made against us." The association intends to challenge the measures and decisions taken in court.