Oise: the prefecture orders the closure of the great mosque of Beauvais for six months

The Minister of the Interior had already announced it a fortnight ago, it is now in effect and it will be effective within 48 hours. This Tuesday, the prefecture of Oise announces that it has ordered by decree on Monday the closure of the great mosque of Beauvais in particular because of sermons “inciting hatred”, “violence” and “defending jihad”. “The prefect of the Oise issued a decree on Monday relating to the closure of the great mosque of Beauvais for a period of six months. This decree is enforceable after 48 hours”, specified the prefecture of Oise.

The lawyer of the association “Hope and Fraternity”, which manages this mosque, Me Samim Bolaky, announced to have seized the administrative court of Amiens against this decision. “We deplore an unfair and unjustified decision, because this clearly shows

evidence of a desire to harm the Muslim community by highlighting some elements taken out of context and thus depriving hundreds of the faithful of access to a place of worship “, the mosque said in a statement.

Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced on December 14 that he had “triggered” the administrative closure procedure of this mosque because of the radical nature of the sermons given there. “We initiated the closure of the Beauvais mosque, (which is) completely unacceptable, which fights Christians, homosexuals, and Jews “, said the Minister of the Interior on Cnews.

Me Samim Bolaky then believed that the authorities were targeting “certain remarks made during the sermons by one of the imams of the mosque – since suspended – who intervened on a voluntary basis”. The association “Hope and Fraternity” has “always fought terrorism, always favored living together. It is a respectable mosque”, he said.

According to the Interior Ministry, this man, “presented as an occasional speaker but who, in reality, acts as an appointed imam “ would have said something “the apology for jihad and the fighters, whom he describes as heroes”. He would also have defended “a rigorous practice of Islam ” and “its superiority over the laws of the Republic”. In addition, its propos “lash out” the “disbelievers and present Western societies as Islamophobic”, had detailed the ministry. They grow “the faithful to break with the Republic” and “incite hatred of homosexuals, Jews and Christians”.