The announcement follows President Emmanuel Macron’s 2020 decision to end the presence of around 300 imams sent by countries such as Algeria, Turkey, and Morocco, and promote the training of imams within France. Macron said the move was designed to combat “foreign influences” on Islam in France, including “Islamist separatism”.

In a letter sent to concerned countries, Darmamin emphasized that after April 1, 2024, imams already in France under this status will no longer be able to maintain their presence.

Existing imams will be required to transition to a different status, and a unique framework will be established from April 1, 2024, allowing religious associations to independently recruit and directly employ imams.

The letter said that the objective is to have these imams receive at least partial training within France.

BFMTV reported that the decision does not impact the presence of foreign imams during Ramadan.

The measure aims to ensure that no imam is paid by a foreign state, of which he is a civil servant or public official.

The announcement by Darmamin has sparked controversy and criticism. Critics argued that the decision to halt the appointment of foreign imams perpetuates a perception of Islamophobia, especially in light of France’s history of controversial policies, such as the ban on wearing hijab in public spaces.

The country has faced scrutiny in recent years for its restrictive measures targeting aspects of Islamic practice.

Source: Morocco World News

A spotlight of suspicion was trained on them again even before the latest acts of extremist violence, including two beheadings. President Emmanuel Macron has forged ahead with his effort to rid Islam in France of extremists, part of a project he labels “separatism,” a term that makes Muslims wince.

Amid intensifying rhetoric and fresh attacks by outsiders, including the killings of three people Thursday at a Catholic church in Nice, Muslims in France have kept their heads down and chins up. But deep down, some are squirming, feeling they are being held responsible.

Islam is the second religion in France, which has the largest Muslim population in Western Europe. But the country’s estimated 5 million Muslims have walked a delicate line in search of full acceptance in what for many is their nation of birth. Discrimination casts a shadow over some and is an outright barrier to mainstream life for others.

France’s cherished value of secularism, which is meant to ensure religious freedom, has in recent years been used by the state to reign in customs practiced by some Muslims. The president’s proposed law may mean further tinkering with the 1905 secularism law born out of a conflict with the powerful Roman Catholic clergy.

The rise of Islam into public view was gradual and mostly went unnoticed until the far right seized upon it as a threat to the French identity. Over the years mosques have multiplied, along with Muslim schools.

The religion with no single leader has multiple strains in France, running from moderate to Salafist with a rigorous interpretation of the religion to outright radical upstarts.

In his project, Macron envisions measures like training imams in France instead of bringing them in from Turkey, Morocco or Algeria.

Source: The Associated Press

In France, the Grand Great Mosque of Paris and its new rector, Chems Eddine Hafiz, did not wait to set an example for the other 4,000 mosques and places of worship in France. He took the initiative and had the courage to call on all Muslims in France to pray at home to avoid the spread of the virus, citing Qurʼānic verses and prophetic hadiths in his press release. In the latter, he calls on Muslims to be careful and supportive along with their fellow citizens to fight this virus which is threatening the lives of all citizens.

Some imams close to the Muslim Brotherhood have criticized the rector’s decision to cancel prayers and close mosques because the virus had not yet spread widely. Events have proven the correctness of the rector’s decision to listen to President Emmanuel Macron from the start of the crisis.

Most imams see this virus as a divine test for all humanity, including Muslims, to return to the path of righteousness.

Source: AsiaNews.it

Emmanuel Macron says he wants to work together with French Muslims to “to fight the spreading fanaticism” of the Islamic State group’s ideology, and to counter those who want to turn mosques into “places that preach hatred and violence”. The president was speaking on Tuesday evening to members of the French Council of the Muslim Faith CFCM) who had invited him to break the Ramadan fast with him.

He spoke about how “awful attacks” had been an ordeal for the people of France and of the “immense” role Muslims had to play in the required “security, cultural and moral” response to them. The first battle is against extremism. “On theological and religious terrain it is up to you to fight the appropriation of your religion’s history, the negation of 15 centuries of interpretation work done by your scholars,” Macron insisted. “The battle of thought and faith must be fought on the ground, especially among the youth who are reluctant to enter your mosques.”

Another target, the president said, was those within Islam who foment “segregation” and isolationism, and those who want “to withdraw from the laws of the Republic”. “Nobody should say your faith is not compatible with the Republic,” Macron said, implying it was up to Muslim leaders to prove this.

He went on to repeat a point he made when he was a presidential candidate: that it was essential that imams be trained in France and in a way that corresponds to the values of the Republic.  “Universities are ready to work in this direction and already have the support of the state,” he pledged. In all of these battles “for France” and the “serenity of the Muslim faithful”, the state will stand side-by-side with the CFCM, said Macron.

Source: La Croix International