Mohamed Aissa: “Our neighbors don’t want Algerian Imams at the Paris Mosque”

The Minister of Religious Affairs and Endowments, Mohamed Aissa, said in response to a question from “Echorouk” about certain rumors that Algerian imams in France were the focus of discussion during the visit by the French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, in Algeria, that the latter talked positively about them.

He added that 170 imams were officiating at the Grand Mosque of Paris, 120 sent on assignment there from Algeria and 50 others who were locally recruited. 

These Imams provide the worshippers in France with guidance stemming from the holy Qur’an and give religious advice selflessly and are seen as a symbol of moderation as they do not fall into an extremism-laden discourse, on the contrary, as he put it.

The religious affairs minister based his statement on the positive assertions made recently by his French counterpart, in charge of Cults, who expressed confidence in Algerian imams and commended their sustained efforts to help the Muslim community in France, and especially the Algerian one, set up a solid bulwark against extremism through the highlighting of the true face of the religion of Islam.