'Security threat' mosque near Paris to reopen

The French Ministry of Interior has repealed the closure of a mosque in a northern suburb of Paris that had been shuttered in November because it was deemed to be a safety risk. The new security measures are unprecedented.

Cameras placed at the entrance to the mosque to "monitor the use of the centre". / Florian Niget/PhotoPQR/Le Parisien/MaxPPP

It's a first since a state of emergency was declared in France in late 2015. The Al-Rawda mosque in Stains, a commune to the north of Paris, which had been closed since November 2, is going to reopen.

After local authorities and the mosque agreed on stringent security measures, the Ministry of Interior decided to repeal a prefectural decree ordering its provisional closure.

The mosque, used by between 700 and 1,000 Muslims, had been closed because, according to the ministry, it was "a place of influence in the Salafist movement", and "represented, because of the way it operated and who frequented it, a threat to security and public order".

Sermons at the mosque were deemed to be contrary to the values of the French Republic and to have incited several jihadists to travel to Syria.

"The closure was a very big shock for us and especially for [the head of the mosque], Salih Attia, who is known to be a very open manager," said Mohammed Henniche, secretary-general of the Union of Muslim Associations in the Seine-Saint-Denis department (UAM93).

"He attended prayers every Friday and never heard the imam utter radical words. If the imam gave other speeches in private, we had no way of knowing," he added.

The Council of State, which is the supreme court of administrative justice in France, approved the closure on two occasions.

"We understand the criticisms that have been made and we have responded point by point to the requests of the Ministry of Interior," said Henniche, who worked to get the mosque reopened.

The new security measures are unprecedented.

The management team first agreed to dismiss the imam accused by the ministry "to show our good faith", explained Henniche.

He is to be replaced by a college of three imams, approved by the local authority, or prefecture.

"The goal is to prevent one imam from gaining control over the place of worship," he said.

The mosque also delegated the management of imams to UAM 93.

A video surveillance system has also been put in place.

"[This is to] better monitor the use of places made available to the faithful and thus prevent the formation of uncontrolled groups, capable of spreading radical messages," the ministry said.

Cameras have been set up at the entrance of the mosque, more for preventive than repressive purposes: the challenge is to keep potential radical troublemakers at a distance.

Other cameras were also placed inside.

"If the authorities so wish, they will have access to the videos of the sermons that we will place at their disposal," said Henniche.

A "vigilance team", comprising a dozen faithful and members of the board of directors has also been set up to "provide alerts about behavior and expressions contrary to the values of the Republic", the ministry said.

Finally, the mosque has set up a website to denounce terrorist acts and to "develop a counter-discourse" on radicalization.

While the measures are very strict and even intrusive for those attending the mosque, Henniche said, "we are paying a high price but it doesn't seem exorbitant.

"It is in everyone's interest to keep the radicals at bay. We are not bitter and we are very happy to get our place of prayer back together with the same management team."

Without these measures, the mosque ran the risk of being closed permanently or handed over to another team.

Henniche described talks with the prefecture as constructive, allowing bridges to be built between two worlds that were not speaking to each other.

But he warned against extending the measures too widely.

"Surveillance cameras should not become compulsory in all mosques and prefectures should not approve all imams."

* Some 30 mosques in France have been closed since the state of emergency was imposed in November 2015.