“A retrograde, intolerant and violent conception of Islam”: what the expulsion order for the imam of Bagnols-sur Cèze reveals

Mahjoub Mahjoubi, l'imam de Bagnols-sur-Cèze. MAXPPP – Dauphin Philippe

Ce jeudi 22 février 2024, l'imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi de Bagnols-sur-Cèze a été interpellé. Celui-ci est visé par un arrêté d'expulsion.

For several days now, the imam of Bagnols-sur-Cèze in Gard has been at the heart of the news. Mahjoub Mahjoubi is under investigation for "apology of terrorism" after these remarks "anti-France". The Tunisian imam was arrested this Thursday shortly before noon. This is subject to an expulsion order, which our colleagues from Parisien were able to consult.

Incitement to discrimination

It is mentioned that the accused would "a literal, retrograde, intolerant and violent conception of Islam, likely to encourage behavior contrary to the values ​​of the Republic, discrimination against women, withdrawal into identity, tensions with the Jewish community and jihadist radicalization", after his sermons held at the Gard mosque during the month of February, indicates Le Parsien.

According to the document that our colleagues were able to consult, the religious would have presented on multiple occasions "women as being inferior, weak and venal, needing to be guided and controlled by men and capable of being sequestered in the name of religion". The Jewish community is not spared by Mahjoub Mahjoubi. "It designates the Jews as being the historical enemies of Muslims and allies of the Antichrist", it is noted.

The various hateful remarks of the imam of Bagnols-sur-Cèze towards French society as well as non-Muslims would push "discrimination" but encourages "identity withdrawal among its audience".&amp ;nbsp;"The expulsion of Mr. Mahjoubi thus presents a character of absolute emergency", can we read in the decree, cited by the news channel BFMTV.

Arrest this Thursday

After the arrest of the imam of Bagnols-sur-Cèze on Thursday February 22 shortly before noon, his lawyer Samir Hamroun filed an appeal against the expulsion of his client and deplores the speed of the procedure. 

"We are stunned, really in shock", confides master Samir Hamroun,&nbsp ;Mahjoub Mahjoubi's lawyer, after the arrest of the imam of Bagnols-sur-Cèze, Thursday February 22, shortly before noon.

"We didn't expect it, underlines the lawyer.& ;nbsp;I thought he would be taken into custody as part of the investigation for advocating terrorism. We were preparing for it. There, he could have explained himself."

The lawyer specifies that being in a detention center, the imam of Bagnols will be able to telephone, "he will have the right to speak. But expulsion could happen at any time", he's worried.