for the construction of a mosque in Ambarès-et-Lagrave, two competing projects

Y does he need a mosque between Cenon and Libourne? Requested since 2014 by the Muslim community, the socialist mayors of Ambarès Michel Héritié, then Nordine Guendez responded negatively to the project leaders. The latter, whether from the Muslim Center of Bordeaux (backed by the Muslim Federation of Gironde, FMG) or from the Ambaresian association Ibn Sina, are of a contrary opinion: the Cenon mosque, even enlarged (1), will be too small to accommodate, on Friday, the day of the great weekly prayer in particular, the faithful from the right bank of Bordeaux. During this year, these two structures took their approach up a notch, each developing a cultural and religious center project.

“We are offering a new building, ecological and open to all populations,” says Mr. Senouci, deputy treasurer of the Ibn Sina association and technical manager of a project at 44, rue de Formont, to the west of the city. On a plot of 6,400 square meters of which “the sale is well advanced” according to its owner on site, a car park with 40 spaces and a construction of 600 square meters on two levels including teaching rooms and a sports hall upstairs, library and conference or prayer room on the ground floor. “Teaching the Arabic language but also maths, French, English, physics as well as academic support,” lists Mr. Senouci.

“A little quickly”

Ibn Sina, created in 2013, was dormant for several years and “reactivated with a new office two years ago”. Its activities currently take place in a house. After a gala and a crowdfunding campaign, on August 8 she submitted a building permit for investigation, discussed during the municipal council on September 30. “During an interview in June, I felt that things were going a little quickly and that we would have to wait for the expansion of the Cenon mosque,” ​​explains Mayor Nordine Guendez. “I wanted to discuss implementation conditions and consultation. » The association clearly did not wait.

According to the laws on secularism, any faith has the right to have its religious building as long as the rules of town planning are respected, the transparency of funds is total and the opinion of the State is carried out. “I subscribe to these values ​​of humanism and vigilance,” declares Nordine Guendez, who specifies that he is a non-believer, and responds to the numerous protests from his opposition on the lack of information upstream: “We were not only at the stage of intentions and I, as soon as the building permit was submitted, initiated for example the interreligious conference” which was held on October 19 at the Évasion cultural center (read below).

Second project at Mansoura

At the same time, a second project “of a cultural center under the 1901 law with a prayer room managed separately by the FMG” is in the works in the city. That of the Muslim Center of Bordeaux, led by Tareq Oubrou, imam of Bordeaux and reference of an Islam “of appeasement, inclusive and citizen in a secular France of Christian culture”, in the words of Mahmoud Doua, imam of Cenon. Here too, the anchoring is Ambaresian. Here too, we are putting pressure on the town hall: since June, the CMB has been in the purchasing process (first payment made out of a total of 1.19 million euros) of the private village hall of Mansoura, rue de the Commanderie-des-Templiers and whose business belongs to Abdelkrim Yazid, resident of Ambarès for twenty years, also imam of Bègles.

“This 800 square meter room is already ERP (2) approved, with parking for 250 spaces,” explains Abdelkrim Yazid. “The disruption to just the two close neighbors will be minimal compared to the weddings that still take place here. » The CMB is also planning a cultural center open to all, with a place of prayer. “Through some development work, the space will be modular and will also be able to accommodate the activity of Ambaresian associations. » On this file, no need for a building permit, just a declaration of works.

Dialogue possible ?

Beyond the urban planning and societal meaning (the first project has already triggered a bidding war on the right and the far right), can the two projects become one? The two associations say they are inclined to discuss but Mahmoud Doua (CMB) warns: “The CMB-Ambarès chaired by Tareq Oubrou is the owner and manager of the center, open to all good wishes. » Anecdote: owners of the room and the business met the Ibn Sina association in the spring but the latter apparently declined the opportunity given the price, before turning towards rue de Formont.

The mayor of Ambarès, embarrassed, also wishes to bring the two parties together to find “a common solution between two moderate Islam projects”. Each puts forward its arguments, from the creation of a new modern place for some to feasibility and easy integration into an activity zone for others. Both provide transparent financing, resulting from collections from the faithful.

(1) The work should be completed at the beginning of 2025. (2) Establishment open to the public.

Local residents, between tolerance and concern

At the October 19 conference, neighbors from both sites were present. “Everyone does what they want and has the right to practice their religion,” declared a resident of the Formont district. “But the parking lot is too small, the cars will overflow onto the street of a quiet neighborhood, already disturbed by the new activity of Château Formont. » Another, even closer to the project, is concerned about the tranquility threatened by the children's play area, and asks about equal payment of property tax (certain places of worship are exempt). “The tax effort must be made by everyone,” replied the mayor, also assuring that the two projects did not include a Koranic school. On the Mansoura side, a neighbor a few hundred meters away also points out the insufficient parking and the safety standards of the room. Two Muslim Ambaresians expressed their dismay in the face of “hypocrisy” in different ways: “It’s not the buildings that are disturbing, it’s the people. »