The rector of the Grand Mosque of Lyon called on Emmanuel Macron to “re-examine” the situation of the Al-Kindi Muslim school group, whose contracts the State has just terminated, denouncing in an open letter “a profound injustice”.
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“Mr. President, you are the last resort when the law is violated and when a portion of the citizens of this country are unjustly mistreated.”. It is with these words, in an open letter published on Monday January 20, that the rector of the Grand Mosque of Lyon Kamel Kabtane calls on Emmanuel Macron. He invites her to “reexamine“the situation of the Al-Kindi Muslim school group, whose contracts the State has just terminated, denouncing”a deep injustice“.
The Al-Kindi establishment, located in Décines in the Lyon suburbs, is “a model of excellence” with “quality teaching and rigorous pedagogy“, writes Kamel Kabtane on the website of the Council of Mosques of the Rhône. The prefect of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes announced on January 10 to put an end to the contracts established between the State and the school group, accused of proximity with “the thoughts of the Muslim brothers“, in particular because of the presence in its library of works”radical Islamists“.
-“This decision is seen as a profound injustice, and it arouses growing emotion within the community“, adds the rector of the Grand Mosque of Lyon in his letter. Referring to the Parisian Catholic high school Stanislas which has retained its subsidies despite sexist and homophobic excesses, Kamel Kabtane denounces a “disparity in treatment“who lifts”legitimate questions“.
Addressing the head of state directly, he asks him to “re-examine this situation“by one”strong gesture to reaffirm the principles of equity and justice which must prevail in our country“.
Opened in 2007, Al-Kindi educates nearly 620 students from CP to final year and 80% of its classes are under contract. The termination of the contract, which involves the loss of numerous subsidies, threatens its survival. An online prize pool, opened on January 12, has since raised more than 170,000 euros. Denouncing a “political decision“, his lawyers have announced their intention to take legal action, but their appeal has not yet been finalized, they told AFP.
The case of the other large private Muslim high school, Averroès in Lille, which lost its contract at the start of the 2024 school year, will be examined on its merits by the courts soon. At the end of 2023, the prefect decided to terminate this contract by accusing the high school of having provided teaching “contrary to the values of the Republic“.
On the other hand, the Lille administrative court once again ruled in favor of the Averroès high school on January 17 in the standoff between it and the Hauts-de-France region, led by Xavier Bertrand, who for years refused to provide it with subsidies. The Region indicated that it would appeal, considering that it had “wrong to be right too soon“, and arguing that the State has “proved right by withdrawing this association contract“.
