GETTY More than a thousand people protested against the mosque's conversion into a library

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The protest was organised by the UAMC, a local Islamic association, and was largely peaceful, police officials told the French daily Le Parisien. In 2015, Rémi Muzeau, the left-wing mayor of Clichy-sous-Bois, a drab suburb north-east of Paris, refused to renew the lease for mosque. Mr Muzeau took the decision to convert the prayer hall into a modern library, triggering discontent among local Muslims, who claim that the new building that they are being moved to is "tiny".

Hamid Kazed, the president of the UAMC, said: "We have nothing against Mr Muzeau and we have nothing against the new library. But there are 20,000 Muslims in Clichy-sous-Bois, and all they need is somewhere to pray. We need a large mosque with room for all worshippers." Mr Kazed also claims that the former Clichy-sous-Bois mayor, Socialist Gilles Catoire, told UAMC chiefs in 2013 that they would be able to buy the multi-purpose building once their lease had come to an end. But Mr Catoire's promise was never fulfilled and, instead, his successor chose to shut down the mosque, and to evict its Muslim tenants. Mr Muzeau, did, however, offer to convert another local building into a mosque: a building which, according to the UAMC, is "inappropriate, too far, and too small".

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Mr Kazed also told Le Parisien that the Clichy-sous-Bois mayor had "broken off talks with representatives of the Muslim community" and had refused to come up with an "alternative plan". He said: "The new prayer hall is 400 square metres but the one we're in now is 1,000 square metres - it's too small! "More than 3,000 worshippers come to the Estienne-d'Orves mosque every day - there won't be enough space for everyone." "We've been asking for own mosque for more than 30 years. The former mayor promised to help us find one. We're also happy to buy something, but local officials need to help us find a building that we can afford, and which fits our needs. Next time we'll vote for whomever promises to build us a mosque!" A 50-year-old Muslim worshipper told Le Parisien:

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