Mahjoub Mahjoubi was quickly deported from France based on the new immigration law (social networking sites)

Yesterday, Thursday, France deported Tunisian imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi, who works in a mosque in the south of the country, on charges of “extremism, promoting hatred in his sermons, and making unacceptable statements,” less than 12 hours after his arrest.

For several days, Mahjoubi has been subjected to criticism by French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who last Sunday requested the withdrawal of his residence permit. He also asked the governor to inform the judiciary of the statements made by the imam of the mosque in the city of Banyuls-sur-Seize, bringing the matter to an announcement by the public prosecutor in the city of Nimes. It opened a preliminary investigation into the case.

Mahjoubi was arrested in front of his family yesterday afternoon based on the deportation decision, according to his lawyer, Samir Hamroun, and was transferred to an administrative detention center in the Paris region. Mahjoubi has lived in France since the mid-eighties, and is married with four children.

Darmanin announced - on the X platform - that “less than 12 hours after his arrest,” the French authorities deported him to Tunisia, adding that due to the recently passed immigration law, what he described as the “rapid expulsion” of the imam was possible.

🔴France


🔻The Minister of the Interior of #France today orders the expulsion of the Tunisian Imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi.

Imam of the city of Pagnol-sur-Seiz.

This was only hours after it was reported by a far-right parliamentarian.


🔻The charge is hatred for France


🔻The crime tool. Watch the clip 👇#Boycott_French_products1210@drassagheer pic.twitter.com/Vxo7Txcvpv

- Redouan-Radwan (@Redouan224) February 19, 2024

Statements about notables

Actions were taken against Mahjoubi against the backdrop of a video clip in which he appeared describing the “tricolor flag” as “a satanic flag that has no value in the sight of God,” in what Darmanin interpreted as a talk about the French flag.

However, Mahjoubi confirmed that he was not talking about the French flag, and that he was referring to the multiple flags that were raised in the African Cup of Nations and divided Muslims, and he said, “I am not Voltaire or Victor Hugo, so instead of saying all these multi-colored or different flags, I said all "These flags are tricolor, but I wasn't talking about France."

His lawyer echoed this justification, stressing that he was talking about flags in the plural, criticizing nationalism, and promising that no one would believe his client.

Because "he has a beard and an accent."

For his part, the governor said that the imam has been under surveillance for several months, and the deportation decision was not based on statements from the media alone;

Rather, it is linked to others related to the status of women and the Jewish people, as he put it.

Deportation of foreign imams

Mahjoubi is not the first imam to be deported by France. Abdel Rahim Sayah was previously deported on charges of promoting terrorist acts, and Sayah is an Algerian who was an official in a mosque in France that was closed in 2018. The authorities consider him a “Salafist leader” and he was deported to Algeria last June.

At the beginning of 2020, French President Emmanuel Macron announced his intention to end the duties of about 300 imams sent by various countries, while at the same time increasing the number of imams trained in France.

Since January 1, France has no longer accepted the appointment of new foreign imams sent by other countries.

Source: Agencies