Imam of Bagnols: the RN deputy of Gard calls for the resignation of the mayor and the president of the agglomeration

Pascale Bordes est députée de la 3e circonscription du Gard. Archives/Midi Libre – X.R.

The day before the arrest of Bagnolais imam Mahjoubi, this Thursday, February 22,  the RN deputy for the 3rd constituency of Gard Pascale Bordes has requested the resignation of the mayor of the city and the president of the Gard Rhone agglomeration and uses a video filmed in the mosque.

In a press release, sent on the evening of February 21, the day before the arrest of imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi, the RN deputy for the 3rd constituency of Gard Pascale Bordes asks the resignation of the mayor of Bagnols-sur-Cèze and the president of the Gard Rhone agglomeration, Jean-Christian Rey, and launched a petition to this effect. 

"The petition has no legal value"

To explain her approach, Pascale Bordes highlights a video that she posted on social networks, where we see the mayor of Bagnols-sur-Cèze, the president of the agglomeration and Anthony Cellier (former deputy for the 3rd constituency of Gard beaten in June 2022 by Pascale Bordes), at the At-Tawba mosque alongside Imam Mahjoubi and in front of the faithful . A video "which was circulating on the internet and which we recovered" explains the RN MP. "I have not dated it but I am continuing the'investigation". The professional lawyer knows that "the petition has no legal value, it's a test, I am making a report to citizens.

"The imam does not hesitate to speak of a team formed" writes in her press release the Gard MP who believes that "by these actions the mayor of the commune fuels the partition and division of the commune through religious considerations and seriously harms the security of the inhabitants of Bagnols-sur-Cèze by endorsing anti-French comments". Pascale Bordes asks the question: "Is this cronyism aimed at securing a community vote ?&quot ;.  

"As mayor, I regularly visit places of worship"

"As mayor, Ie regularly visit thees places of worship whether in mosques, church or temple. I speak to all religions and when I am invited, I always specify that I represent the Republic. I am for interreligious dialogue" reacts the mayor of Bagnols-sur-Cèze, Jean-Yves Chapelet who denounces the recent remarks of  39;Imam Mahjoubi. "I don't go to places of worship when I'm on the electoral campaign. A MP who demands with a petition the resignation of elected representatives of the Republic, it makes me think of the prefects who dismissed mayors under Pétain. I would not denigrate his mandate."   

The president of the Gard Rhone agglomeration, Jean-Christian Rey, says nothing else. "We were invited several times for the breaking of the fast, for Eid. It has nothing to do with an electoral campaign. After the Charlie Hebdo attacks in 2015, I was mayor, I initiated intercultural meetings, I # I have always preferred dialogue between religions and the Republic, rather than combat. Today the imam's speech is unacceptable" estimates the president of the agglomeration who deplores that "the RN deputy puts everything in a shaker, decontextualizes  for add fuel to the fire. His amalgam fillings are nauseating. Propaganda and the far right are a well-known story."

"On political recovery"

"It's political recovery on the part of Pascale Bordes! I do not support this approach at all", explains Jérôme Jackel, opposition municipal councilor, who, he says,  had posted the video on social networks in 2022. "This video was filmed by a worshiper of the mosque who gave it to me. I put it online on April 30, 2022" he assures. "I regularly post videos on my Facebook group". 

All of these comments were collected before the news of the arrest of Imam Mahjoubi on February 22 late in the morning.