Mosque closure marks new wave of Islamophobia in France Article by Muslim Network TV

A French administrative court has upheld the six-month closure of a mosque outside Paris, in a case that has drawn concern from rights advocates over the extent to which Quranic passages and classical Islamic scholarship were cited in the government’s justification for shutting the place of worship.

The Montreuil Administrative Court on Friday rejected an emergency appeal filed by the association operating the Attaqwa mosque, also known as the Chanteloup mosque, in Aulnay-sous-Bois, a working-class suburb northeast of Paris in the Seine-Saint-Denis department, Caliber.Az reports, citing Muslim Network TV.

The mosque was ordered closed in the final week of July by local prefect Julien Charles and will remain shut until January. The association has said it plans to appeal to the Council of State, France’s highest administrative court.

What arguments did the prefect put forward?

The prefect ordered the closure under provisions of France’s internal security code, accusing the mosque of promoting what authorities characterised as a radical Islamist ideology that mirrors the rhetoric of terrorist organisations, legitimises jihad and glorifies martyrdom.

However, details of the case presented by the mosque’s lawyer and reported by French media have raised particular concern.

According to a summary of the prefecture’s case file, authorities cited an imam’s use of seven Quranic passages during sermons, as well as references to two major works of Islamic scholarship: The Garden of the Righteous (Riyad al-Salihin) and The Forty Hadiths. Both were compiled by Imam al-Nawawi, a 13th-century scholar from Damascus widely regarded across the Sunni Muslim world as a major mainstream Islamic thinker.

The two collections are commonly studied and recited by Muslims in mosques and homes across the Muslim world.

Rafik Chekkat, the human rights lawyer representing the mosque, framed the issue around a fundamental question: “In France, can an imam still quote the Quran in the mosque where he preaches?”

He said the prefect had specifically criticised an imam for quoting Surah al-Baqara, the longest chapter of the Quran, warning that if the courts accepted such reasoning, “the Quran itself becomes grounds for closure.”

Authorities also objected to sermons referring to “hell” and the “punishments of the grave” awaiting “unbelievers.” Experts noted that such references are common elements of eschatological preaching in Christianity and other religions and do not ordinarily trigger state intervention.

The association that runs the mosque is challenging not so much the alleged violations themselves as the state’s distorted interpretation of them, arguing that the accusations are based on “quotes taken out of context and in part.”

"A decision that was more political than legal"

The prefecture’s case, however, was not based solely on religious texts.

The judges ruled that the prefect had “not committed a serious and manifestly illegal infringement of either the freedom of worship or the freedom of expression.” Chekkat sharply criticised the decision.

“We are very disappointed by the decision and very surprised by its content,” he told AFP, saying parts of the ruling went “totally against religious freedom.”

Asked why he believed the mosque had lost the case, he said: “I understand that the administrative judge did not want to contradict the prefect of Seine-Saint-Denis,” adding, “Now I think that before the Council of State we will have a little more chance — it will be a little more legal and a little less political.”

The mosque is also facing other government measures. Its bank accounts were frozen by government decree on July 2, while authorities have separately moved to dissolve the association that manages the mosque.

Not an isolated case

The Chanteloup case comes amid a broader French policy of increased scrutiny of Muslim religious and civil society institutions.

By April 2022, French authorities had closed 22 mosques and prayer halls over 18 months. In many cases, the closures relied on intelligence reports whose sources were kept secret, making it difficult for affected congregations to see or challenge the evidence against them.

The government has also dissolved Muslim civil society organisations, including the Collective Against Islamophobia in France (CCIF), a prominent anti-discrimination group, and the humanitarian charity BarakaCity. Human rights organisations condemned those measures, arguing that counter-terrorism powers were being used to dismantle organisations that helped Muslims document and challenge discrimination.

The measures have come amid broader concerns about anti-Muslim discrimination in France. The country recorded the highest level of anti-Muslim discrimination among EU countries in the bloc’s most recent survey, while France’s interior ministry reported an 88% increase in anti-Muslim acts in 2025.

Muslim women have also faced restrictions related to wearing the headscarf in certain professions, while legislation has targeted religious clothing worn by schoolgirls. At the same time, the French government has continued debating the limits of Muslim religious expression in public life.

The appeal to the Council of State will show whether France’s highest administrative court sees the danger that the lower court failed to recognize, the article said.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov