French Interior Minister urges Algerian Religious Affairs Minister to ensure freedom of worship for Christians in Algeria

The visiting French Interior Minister Alliot Marie has urged the Algerian religious affairs Minister Bouabdallah Ghoulamoulah to show tolerance towards other religions notably towards the Christian community settled in Algeria .During an encounter with Ghoulamoulah in Algiers , the French Interior Minister recalled the position of Islam as second religion in France saying that a lot had been done by the French authorities to allow the Muslim community in France to practise their religion in all freedom.

Alliot Marie said that when she was in charge of the Defence Ministry portfolio, she was one of the first officials to encourage freedom of worship for Muslims within the French armed forces.

Alliot Marie stressed that the Christians in Algeria were unfortunately facing great difficulties in practising their religion here.

The Christians in Algeria , she said, had alerted the French authorities to their situation saying that they are the victims of the new Algerian law on evangelisation.

Alliot Marie expounded the case of these Christians who should be allowed, she said, to practise their religion without any hurdles or constraints stressing that France was ready to bring its contribution to check extremist religious movements whose orientation and practises are dangerous for both France and Algeria, as she put it.