The 27 Moroccan imams (religious scholars) are not concerned by the new French decision of banning foreign Muslim preachers from practicing in France as long as they are paid by other countries, president of the French Mosques Union (UMF) Mohammed Moussaoui told AFP, as reported by Le Monde on Friday.
France is home to some 300 imams who were dispatched by countries such as Morocco, Algeria, Turkey…to counter extremism and terrorism, and preach moderate Islam.
Moussaoui explained that the Moroccan Imams have already changed their status as they were hired by UMF associations and are no longer paid by Rabat.
In a bid to increase the number of Imams trained in France, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin had made it clear in a letter to the said Muslim countries that France will not be accepting more foreign imams as of April 1, 2024. Imams already established in France should change their status after this date so that they get their pay from local associations.
The letter implies that a growing number of imams should at least be partially trained in France. It is also meant to help religious scholars benefit from religious and university trainings, such as courses launched by the “French Institute of Islamology” in 2023.
Imams who usually come to France during the holy month of Ramadan to preach inside mosques are not concerned by the new decision.
Determined to combat “separatism”, Emmanuel Macron had announced in February 2020 a series of measures to harmonize France’s second main religion with the principles of the Republic.