Salaam
Worrisome developments. Seems the avowedly secular French government are trying to change the essence of Islam to suit their own designs. Whats more the British establishment having been debating whether they should do the same (government appointed imams etc etc).
The French government has just closed the third mosque this year in what many say is an attempt to control the type of Islam the French Muslims are permitted to practice. Equally concerning is the willingness of Muslim leaders to side with the establishment.
Here in the Parisian suburb of Epinay, these Muslims have braved sub-zero temperatures to pray in front of the Mayor's office after he closed their mosque.
The mayor claimed the mosque's previous leadership does not represent the majority of Epinay Muslims.
But members have a different story: They say the mosque is in a state-owned building and the president of the association, a close friend of the mayor, didn't reveal where the donations were going.
But instead of getting support from the national Muslim leadership, Epinay got new imams sent from Paris, at the request of the mayor, to control the situation. The congregation rejected the outsiders and that's when the mosque was closed. The Epinay's Muslims have resorted to prayers in this drafty makeshift tent.
The mayor of Le Bourget has refused to meet with the Muslim leaders and, like the mayor of Epinay, he turned down an interview request by Press TV.
Government interference in mosque leadership is becoming a worrisome trend for France's Muslims. Observers say that if the French government wants to earn the trust of its citizens, taking away the right to choose their own religious leaders isn't going to help.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/155941.html
Comments, opinions? :)