Islam versus Europe

I've written before about the imam Hassen Chalgoumi, based in Drancy in France. Together with David Pujadas, he's just published a book in France called "Agissons avant qu'il ne soit trop tard" [Act Now Before It's Too Late]. Here are some extracts from an interview he did recently with Atlantico magazine.

Hassen Chalghoumi : It is clear that the majority of the places of worship in France are managed by embassies. The Grand Mosque of Paris is managed by Algeria, the RMF (Rassemblement des musulmans de France [Association of Muslims of France) is managed by Morocco and several mosques are directly dependent on Turkey, Egypt and Qatar. We know very well that there is interference on a large scale.

Haoues Seniguer: The concern of Hassan Chalghoumi can be better understood in the context that he himself, in the past, frequented madrassas (traditional religious schools where the Koran is memorised especially) in Syria, India, Pakistan, etc. to the point where he was even very much in favour, at least for a while, of the full veil. His recent positions can therefore be seen in light of this perhaps traumatic experience of his earlier years.

Now, we need to be precise about the nature of what is being called interference, real or imagined. It can be of two types: first, at the theoretical level, because of globalisation it is true that ideologies circulate easily, spread very widely from one area to another with, in the Islamic landscape of France, the unquestionable pre-eminence of the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood which has implanted itself very strongly in France in recent years. Then, at the financing level, we know that some countries give money, occasionally or regularly, to the Muslim faithful, also citizens, such as Morocco, which, for example, financed the Grand Mosque in Saint-Étienne which was even named the Mohammed VI mosque from the name of the current Alawite sovereign. There are also patrons in the Gulf who make regular donations, rather discreetly since September 2001, in order to avoid provoking a defensive reaction from the public authorities in our country and from French opinion, which might suspect them of favouring terrorism.

Who are the principal actors in this interference? Where do they come from and what is their organisation?

Hassen Chalghoumi: The Muslim Brotherhood have a significant influence which is also known by everyone, even the State. There are about a hundred imams who come from Algeria on a four-year contract, the same for Moroccan and Turkish imams.

Haoues Seniguer: In addition to the countries I've just mentioned, I show very clearly in an article that appeared yesterday in the academic journal Confluences méditerranée, that countries such as Qatar are getting more and more involved in Islam outside of their own borders. Qatar could also make a breakthrough at the level of European Islam in general, and in France in particular, within the next few years, because of the ever greater proximity between our two countries, and the implantation of the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe, which is a cherished goal in particular of the second wife of the emir Hamad Ben Khalifa Al-Thani, Moza bint Nasser Al-Misnad. Let's also not lose sight of the fact that she is very close to Yûsuf Al-Qaradhâwî, the globally notorious islamist theologian. In this respect, it is useful to recall that Tariq Ramadan, who enjoys great prestige among French-speaking Muslims, and who is often invited to France by different Muslim associations or organisations, inaugurated, in March 2012 in Doha, the CILE (Centre for Research on Islamic Legislation) of which has been the director since then. This centre is financed the given broad support by this very same second wife of the Emir of Qatar.

Source: Atlantico