Lhe reopening of the Bleuets mosque in Marseille can only take place without its imam. The place of worship in Bouches-du-Rhône has been threatened with administrative closure since the end of August by the Ministry of Justice, due to the sermons of Imam Ismaïl. The latter, whose real name is Smaïn Bendjilali, is notably accused by the police headquarters of “remarks legitimizing violence” and “inciting hatred and discrimination against women”.
According to The Figarorepresentatives of the religious building received a letter from the police prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône which makes the reopening of the building conditional on the dismissal of Imam Ismaïl. He has five days, starting this Wednesday, September 4, to leave his position at the Bleuets mosque. If he refuses, it will be permanently closed next week.
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“Given that Imam Bendjilali remains in office, despite his roots in a radical practice of Islam as revealed by all of his publications, sermons and conferences, they do not seem to me to constitute sufficient guarantees to prevent the disturbances that justified the initiation of a procedure to close the place of worship, which are directly generated by the imam,” wrote the police prefect in his letter, relayed by the daily.
A “collection of lies”
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