In a possible violation of a prohibition on political discussion in mosques, French Council of Muslim Faith president Mohammed Moussaoui called upon his congregants to take action on the Arab-Israeli conflict and to recognize the significance of al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem in the Muslim religion, in a statement on Friday amid rising Israeli-Palestinian tensions.
CFCM's president adopted in January a charter of "Republican values" for Islam in France, which he presented to French President Emmanuel Macron in order to show that "the principles of the Muslim faith are completely compatible with the principles of the Republic." The charter included the prohibition of any political discussion in mosques, acknowledging the issue "that places of worship serve to disseminate political speeches or import conflicts that take place in other countries of the world."
Friday's statement was published on Twitter, and also stated that French Muslims should "organize fundraising for the benefit of humanitarian NGOs operating within the Palestinian territories," and "launch a large sponsorship campaign between mosques in France and Palestinian mosques, in order to provide the latter with assistance."
Solidarité avec les palestiniens - CFCM https://t.co/rZbVCbOAGW pic.twitter.com/HmNUw5SOPT
— CFCM (@CfcmOfficiel) May 19, 2021
The Simon Wiesenthal Centre warned in a press statement on Sunday that CFCM's political prescriptions could unintentionally result in further violence against the Jews of France.
Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, argued that Moussaoui's statement exceeded the organization's limits.
“The CFCM seems to go beyond its religious purview by addressing political issues," he said. "This could be, even unintentionally, construed by French Islamists – already heavily influenced by the Palestinian narrative supporting Hamas – to mobilize Jihadist attacks against the French Jewish community.”
In a letter to Interior and Religious Affairs Minister Gerald Darmanin, Samuels suggested that "the CFCM statement may have negated French policy, which is to ensure that Islam in France follows the Republic’s set of values... and could, even unwillingly, incite to further hate and violence against the Jews of France."