In order to finance the maintenance and expansion of the Averroès de la Paillade mosque in Montpellier, the association which manages this place of worship plans to resell it in Morocco. But to prevent it from falling under the influence of a foreign power, the town hall decided to use a right of preemption to acquire it.
While the bill “reinforcing the republican principles”, and aimed at fighting against what the executive has called “separatism”, will be presented Wednesday in the Council of Ministers, the possible takeover of a French mosque by Morocco could be a practical case. In Montpellier, the mayor of the city is opposed to the sale of the Averroès de la Paillade mosque to the Cherifian kingdom, refusing the interference of a foreign country in the financing of this place of worship.
The local association no longer has the means to maintain it
It was through a simple administrative document that the town hall realized the project: the association at the head of the largest mosque in Montpellier wants to sell the prayer room in Morocco. A cession for a symbolic euro that the socialist mayor, Michaël Delafosse, categorically refuses. He therefore decided to preempt the premises to avoid the sale. “If we let pass the idea that it is foreign countries which finance places of worship, then religions are placed under the influence of these foreign countries. I say it clearly: it is no!”, Annoyed. the aedile to Europe 1. “It is up to the faithful from Montpellier to take charge of their place of worship, in accordance with the law of 1905”, he further argues.
The faithful who no longer have the means to maintain their place of worship
The faithful had helped in the past to buy the prayer room at the town hall, for 1.2 million euros. But today, the local association no longer has the means to maintain it and finance its expansion: this is why it asked Morocco. The Union of Mosques of France (UMF), a religious federation close to the kingdom, explains that the country has not followed up on this request. In any case, the opposition of the town hall should probably abort the project.
