France Closed Down Four Muslim Prayer Halls & Three Mosques of Various Localities

French aurhorities has closed down Four Muslim Prayer Halls & Three Mosques for the suspicion that facilities were  helping Islamic religious radicalization, ministry announced on Wednesday. Bernard Cazeneuve, the minister, disclosed to the French National Assembly, such action was need of the hour in the aftermath of bloody terror onslaught in and around Paris inNovember, killing 130 people & hundreds of wounded.
"We will deal with iron hand against those preaching violence and hatred in France,” Bernard Cazeneuve said.Two closed mosques are located in the greater Paris area and another in Lyon suburb. Four “stealth” prayer halls were shut downed in Nice. The action is effective to the period of national state of emergency, Minister said.

The focus on prayer rooms is relatively new. News media reports suggested that the police in several countries were giving closer scrutiny to such places, generally in storefronts or residences.


The risk level of closed facilities are difficult to judge from Bernard Cazeneuve’s statements.The French authorities so far, have arrested or ousted imams for preaching hatred or hate speech- no one was associated with these closed religious centers, Ministry official told. But, when the agencies searched houses of persons on leading positions in mosque, they found a revolver in possession, computer hard drive, jihad preaching documents.

In France regional elections are scheduled this week, the Socialist headed government of President François Hollande experiencing challenge from extreme right parties. Heavy crackdown on Islamic facilities and mosques might be aimed at showing Hollande’s government as hardline and non negotiable than earlier Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative government.

“Did earlier governmetns close mosques for Islamic radicalization during the period of last 10 years? Not a single,” Bernard Cazeneuve hurled in National assembly. “But We have closed 4 mosques after state of emergency declared.”
His coleague narrated further that when minister told four, it was reference of locations of the facilities closed,

Making reference to Sarkozy’s tenure in office, he further said that, “Not a single Imam preaching hate and appealing for terror has been expelled from France between Year 2007 to 2012” But Socialist regime acted against 65 imams compared to 16 in Sarkozy rule.

Still Mr. Bernard Cazeneuve stressed that France still honoring individual rights. “Today, Religious extremism & terrorism is  threatening our freedom in France and the state of emergency is safeguarding it.”

Mr. Bernard Cazeneuve told the speed of government raids, actions and terror suspect detentions was not slowed down. Government tallies says that 263 people have been grilled and most of them have been detained. Another 330 suspects have been thrown under house arrest.