Gwladys Laffitte with AFP 19h31, December 28, 2021

The prefecture of Oise ordered the closure of the great mosque of Beauvais for six months, in particular because of sermons "inciting to hatred", "to violence" and "defending jihad".

An appeal was filed with the administrative court. 

The prefecture of Oise has ordered the closure of the great mosque of Beauvais for six months, in particular because of sermons "inciting to hatred", "to violence" and "defending jihad", a-t it announced this Tuesday.

Promotion of jihad

"The prefect of Oise took a decree Monday on the closure of the great mosque of Beauvais for a period of six months. This decree is enforceable after forty-eight hours," said the prefecture.

This place of worship accommodates some four hundred faithful.

According to the prefecture, the sermons of the imam of the mosque value jihad as a duty and glorify the fighters they qualify as heroes in the service of the protection of the Muslim religion which would be threatened by Western societies.

The imam would also call for hatred and discrimination against Jews, Christians and homosexuals.

An appeal to the administrative court

The leaders of the mosque are also accused of not having condemned these comments posted on social networks.

The Association which manages the place of worship assured to have suspended this imam who intervened voluntarily and to have always fought terrorism.

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Samim Bolaky, the lawyer for the Espoir et Fraternité association, which manages this mosque, told AFP that he had seized the administrative court of Amiens with an interim relief against this decision.

A hearing must take place within forty-eight hours, according to the lawyer.

The closure must last a maximum of six months before being re-examined, a measure provided for by the so-called SILT law, the law on internal security and the fight against terrorism.