(Paris) Legal action is been taken against French lawmakers after
they interrupted outside street prayers by singing the French national anthem
last week whilst the Muslims prayed The lawmakers want to stop muslims praying
on the streets saying it is an unacceptable use of public space. Valerie
Pecresse, President of the Paris, Ile-de-France region, says the French state
needs to face its responsibilities and help to find a solution, but not at any
cost.
The Muslims have been praying outside in Clichy in protest since the closure of a pop up mosque which was opened without asking for permission. The local government gave the Muslim association a lease on the property but it expired in June last year, and the Muslims refused to leave. In March bailiffs arrived at the building and welded the gate shut so that no one could enter. However, around 50 individuals managed to gain access to the building and had to be forcibly removed by police. Since then Muslims have prayed outside in the street in a form of protest.
Hamid Kazed, head of the Clichy Muslim Union says the situation is unacceptable:
“You think it’s luxury to pray on the street?” he asks. “But that’s what he (the mayor of Clichy) wants, to divide citizens, to divide so that the finger is pointed at us. We are not Salafists, we are not fundamentalists, we are for an Islam of France, we are for an Islam that respects the republic.”
