France has expelled a Tunisian Muslim cleric Mahjoub Mahjoubi due to what Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin described as “radicalism” and remarks deemed “unacceptable”. Darmanin announced the expulsion on Twitter, stating, “The radical Imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi has just been expelled from the national territory, less than 12 hours after his arrest. We will not let people get away with anything.”
This decision followed Darmanin’s instructions to issue a deportation order against the imam for his alleged extremist rhetoric. “Firmness is the rule,” he added.
Imam had termed the “three-coloured flag” as “satanic”. The imam, who preached in a mosque in southern France, denied any wrongdoing, claiming his comments about the French flag were taken out of context.
French media reports citing the expulsion order, said that Mahjoubi had “conveyed a literal, backward, intolerant, and violent conception of Islam, likely to encourage behaviors contrary to the values of the Republic, discrimination against women, identity retreat, tensions with the Jewish community, and jihadist radicalization’.”
Despite his denial, the expulsion order cited his promotion of a violent and intolerant interpretation of Islam.
The imam’s lawyer plans to appeal the expulsion. The swift deportation was made possible by France’s new immigration law.
Another Muslim Imam deported
Another Muslim preacher was deported to Egypt for alleged incitement against the West. Brice Hortefeux, France’s interior minister for overseas territories, termed him a “dangerous individual.”
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Al-Soudany told France24, “We have never opposed the West. I lived in the West for several years. My wife was born in the West and I married her there! What’s happened is not fair. It’s already happened to other Imams and it’s not fair. What right do they have to deprive a woman of her husband? What right to stop someone from speaking freely? I hope I’ll go back and that justice will prevail.”
(With inputs from agencies)
