what we know about the preaching and the charges against Mahjoub Mahjoubi

This Tunisian imam has been the subject of a report since Sunday, in particular for comments on “tricolor flags” during a sermon. Gérald Darmanin indicates that he requested the withdrawal of his residence permit.

The prefect of Gard Jérôme Bonet denounces a “call to hatred” of the Tunisian imam of Bagnols-sur-Cèze (Gard), accused of preaching “anti-France” after a video published on social networks. Comments which provoked strong reactions, with Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin going so far as to demand the expulsion of Mahjoub Mahjoubi on Sunday February 18. “We are dealing with content which fundamentally calls into question our values ​​and which falls within the scope of the law”, declared on franceinfo the prefect of Gard, who referred the matter to the public prosecutor. The Nîmes prosecutor opened an investigation into acts of apology for terrorism, and referred the matter to the Montpellier PJ. We summarize the controversy for you.

Several sermons concerned

The prefect of Gard assures that several sermons are affected. Jérôme Bonet says he noticed a “derivative” In “several recent sermons”, Who “contain in their content a certain number of offenses likely to be prosecuted.”

A sermon has been making the rounds on social networks since Sunday February 18. In this speech delivered on February 9, the imam evokes “governances which will fall”, “tricolor flags which gangrene us”, “which have no value with Allah”, “satanic flags”… Comments which provoked strong reactions even in the political class.

But according to the prefect of Gard, other facts are accused of Mahjoub Mahjoubi. According to a close source, a sermon delivered a week earlier, on February 2, also posed a problem in the comments in Arabic by Mahjoub Mahjoubi which were translated by the intelligence services. In these two sermons, the prefect also evokes the place of women and the Jewish people, designated as an enemy. The Nîmes public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation for advocating terrorism and inciting hatred.

The imam under surveillance since October

Surveillance of the imam began on October 3. The Ettaouba mosque in Bagnols-sur-Ceze is in the sights of the prefecture for its reception for minors, which will be closed a month later, on November 9. This closure was decided for two reasons: the absence of an educational project and fire safety problems. Two courses were offered to the minors received, Arabic and Koranic teaching. Four teachers were present and indicated that they were qualified in Maghreb countries.

Two reports to the courts were then made by the prefecture. The first was made on November 3 for fraudulent management of a company, Provence Villa, while the imam had been banned from management since 2015. It was his wife who had formally taken over but he was still officiating behind the scenes. The second report was made on January 17, on the administrative management of the mosque, in particular the amount of rent paid to the town hall.

Good faith as a defense and “apologies”

The imam pleads good faith by speaking of “slip of the tongue” on the tricolor flags. He explains that he wanted to say “multicolor” and assures that he was only talking about the African Cup of Nations, which was held from mid-January to mid-February. A huge misunderstanding for his lawyer, Samir Hamroun, who explains that the imam was denouncing the dangers of nationalism. Concerning the accusations of anti-Semitic remarks, the lawyer continues: “We learn with our arms hanging that he would have made remarks against our compatriots of the Jewish faith. It never existed.”

The imam, interviewed Tuesday February 20 on Franceinfo television, presented “apologies”. “If I hurt, if I offended, I apologize to the population I hurt”declared Mahjoud Mahjoubi. “If I offended the sensibilities of many people by thinking that I insulted the French flag, which was not my intention, I apologize to them”he added.

His lawyer Samir Hamroun specifies that he has not received any official letter, for the moment, announcing the opening of expulsion proceedings. He warns that he will challenge the state’s decision before the administrative court.