Open House at IFESI

28.04.2013 La rédaction

The IFESI is organizing an Open House Day on Sunday 28 April.

Two speakers from UOIF will be present: Hamza Hassen Iquioussen and Garrush

It is worth noting that on 26 April 2011, the French Institute of Islamic Studies and Sciences (IFESI) was closed for non-compliance with safety standards.

AZZEDINE GACI

Azzedine Gaci

01.03.2015 La rédaction

Azzedine Gaci is a member of the UOIF-BE, in charge of inter-religious dialogue.

He came to France in 1986 to finish his studies. He is a teacher and researcher at the Ecole Supérieure de Chimie-Physique-Electronique in Lyon.

He is also the rector of the Othmane mosque in Villeurbanne, and has always used inter-religious dialogue as a means to ease tensions. He long declared to be independent, until he was appointed to the UOIF office.

Azzedine Gaci was one of the religious leaders who called for demonstrations during the Manif pour tous (a French anti-gay marriage protest).

“It is important to show that we share other parties’ concerns on a text that will dismantle the family structure and have consequences on the balance of society” (Blog of Stéphanie Le Bars)

During the January 2015 attacks, he insists that all people, whether believers or non-believers, must be present at the January 11 demonstration. For Azzedine Gaci, these attacks “call into question social peace”.

This post is also available in Français.

Assassination of Muslim Brotherhood in Misrata

26.01.2013 La rédaction

Gunmen opened fire at Sheikh Mohamed bin Othman, a Muslim Brotherhood and Misrata local council member, near Ras Amar mosque, Misrata, Misrata, libya. Othman died in the attack. No group claimed responsibility for the incident.

Sources

Global Terrorism database

“Muslim Brotherhood member shot dead in libya,” Agence France Presse — English, January 27, 2013.”

“Misratan Councillor murdered outside mosque,” libya TV, January 27, 2013.”

“Misrata council member murdered,” libya Herald, January 26, 2013.”

Assassination of Muslim Brotherhood in Misrata

26.01.2013 La rédaction

Gunmen opened fire at Sheikh Mohamed bin Othman, a Muslim Brotherhood and Misrata local council member, near Ras Amar mosque, Misrata, Misrata, libya. Othman died in the attack. No group claimed responsibility for the incident.

Sources

Global Terrorism database

“Muslim Brotherhood member shot dead in libya,” Agence France Presse — English, January 27, 2013.”

“Misratan Councillor murdered outside mosque,” libya TV, January 27, 2013.”

“Misrata council member murdered,” libya Herald, January 26, 2013.”

Libyan Muslim Brotherhood Building Attacked

Assailants threw a grenade at the libyan Muslim Brotherhood center in Al-Marj city, Marj district, Libya. There were no reported casualties; however, the building was damaged in the blast. No group claimed responsibility for the incident.

Sources

Global Terrorism database

“Local libyan Muslim Brotherhood Building Attacked With Hand Grenade,” Al-Tadamun News Agency, October 21, 2012.”

‘We European Muslims Are Hostages, Caught Between Extremism And Racism’

Title: “The Conference of Eastern Christians in Trouble, held at Neuilly-sur-Seine on Monday, March 22, 2012, by the Committee for the Defense of Religious Minorities”

Mediator Robert Solé: “We know you to be a defender of the [French] Republic and its laws. What can be done so that the tolerant Islam that you represent becomes a reality not only in France, but in the Middle East, and possibly in the Maghreb?”

Hassen Chalghoumi: “For years we have been denouncing radical islam and calling to be careful. Just last night, there was a demonstration of 3,00 or 4,000 Salafists in Tunisia, calling for the death of the Jews. This deviant [Salafist] minority can be divided into three groups.

“One is the Jihadist Salafists, to which Mohamed Merah belonged, and another is the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt is being tormented by the Muslim Brotherhood, which is a huge and disastrous ideology.

[…]

“We European Muslims are hostages, caught between extremism and racism.

[…]

“The West does not help Sufi Islam.

[…]

“The [Salafists] were in Europe as political refugees. They returned to Tunisia and took the reins of power there. There are more than 27,000 Salafists in Tunisia. Weapons come in. Liberated from a dictator, and brought back to the diabolical Salafists, and the women, to begin with…

“The first martyr after the revolution in Tunisia was a priest from a church in La Goulette. He was assassinated.

[…]

“I praise the courage of the French president and the minister of the interior for banning [the entry] of the infamous Al-Qaradhawi, along with other extremists.

“Let me tell you something. According to Tunisian intelligence, 7,000 French Salafists went to Tunisia. Imagine that.

“Current Islamist ministers in Tunisia were in France. Our main task – although it’s a bit difficult to say this – is to begin doing something here [in France]. A police source told me that today; there are at least 5,000 women who wear full veils in Tunisia. In the days of dictator Ben Ali, there was not a single one.

“On January 25 this year, I was at the synagogue in Tunis, along with 40 imams of different origins: from Senegal, Mali, Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco. The Jewish community in Tunis was terrified. They said that it was the first time since the revolution that non-Jews had entered the synagogue. We, as imams, were in peril [because of our visit] there. This was not easy for us. Fortunately, we had police protection.

“This [threat] is due to people like Al-Qaradhawi, to a channel like Al-Jazeera TV, and to a policy like that of Qatar.”

Translation Memri

Sarkozy and the UOIF : some inconvenient truths

The Union of Islamic Organizations of France (UOIF), the unofficial representative of the thinking of the Muslim Brotherhood, will be deprived this year, at its annual congress of Bourget, several of its stars references including some Yousef Al-Qaradhaoui. Notorious fundamentalist, anti-Semitic  is spreading a hate speech to the Republic what the UOIF.

Nicolas Sarkozy, the candidate – President announced that he had personally contacted the Emir of Qatar to let her know that Sheikh was undesirable in France. This is obviously good news. A decision must now set a precedent even if it displeases the leaders of the UOIF and their media relays who insist, using rhetorical pedaling to present the preacher as a misunderstood humanitarian.

Through an open letter, I drew attention last week the head of state and of public opinion, to recall, among others, that the speech of Al-Qaradhaoui is the antithesis of the values ​​of the Republic. But beyond this preacher, hate preacher and archaisms, some reflections are needed on the very ambiguous relationship, for ages between Nicolas Sarkozy and the UOIF.

Above all, it is curious that the UOIF, Islamist organization, which, however, condemned the attacks and anti-Semitic speeches, in his official statements, said that it is quite consistent and logical to show smooth image and polite French society while attending extremist preachers who openly advocate hatred, anti-Semitism and violence by exploiting conflicts of a political nature. It is also curious to see the UOIF itself as a religious association while virtually criminalizing policy chapel with the complacency of those leaders who today give the impression to discover this organization, multiply the cries of ospreys while vowing hand on heart that they in no way instrumentalize the Toulouse tragedy.

Finally, it is equally curious to see the UOIF, hijack, with the blessing of the authorities, Islam and Muslims in France and speak on their behalf, so that this association only represents a minority current .

It is necessary to clarify that the UOIF has gained respectability and legitimacy by Nicolas Sarkozy, the interior minister, but also through the same Nicolas Sarkozy, elected president of the Republic. One that seems to discover, during the election campaign, the fundamentalist nature of this organization went “friend” in April 2003, at the Congress of the same association to make a speech to separate women from men legitimizing, by such a presence, the sexist nature of fundamentalist movement.

True, he had defended at risk of being booed, the republican principle, which states that women should remove their veils for the purposes of identification photos, but in return, he insisted that the UOIF, but also Tabligh, a proselytizing association, integrate, both the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) and imposing fundamentalist organizations more open to other current and advocating an Islam compatible with universal values.
During this honeymoon between the Minister of Interior, the future head of state, and the UOIF, the champion of “positive secularism” has turned into an ardent defender of the association, up to ask journalists, on TV sets, not to see it as a “extremist” organization, “Islamist” or “fundamentalist”, preferring the euphemism muffle Association “Orthodox” while there is no orthodoxy in Islam. Theologically speaking, this concept has no meaning in Islam. But let’s go on semantics …

To paraphrase the title of the book very informative journalist Farid Hannache, we can say, indeed, that Sarkozy has with Islamism “explosive hypocrisies.” It exploits in its own way, the Islam of France and particularly the most fundamentalist he adapts happily when they can serve its interests. Hassan Chalghoumi who lets complacently manipulated by political power, now called the nickname “Imam of the UMP” and some Islamic Associations of Seine Saint-Denis had they not mobilize, sometimes from mosques, a few bearded and other veiled women, they sent buses Villepinte rally? Needless to remember that, obviously, sharia oblige, even when supporting the UMP, women are separated from men and sent to Sarkozy’s Grand Mass in strictly female bus.

See for example how could he, when the constitution of the CFCM, required for the Tabligh organization and fundamentalist proselytizing, represented by the imam Mohamed Hammami the equally fundamentalist mosque in the rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, integrates the CFCM . Today, the same imam who was also fundamentalist yesterday that today is under the influence of an expulsion procedure … Decidedly, times change during an election campaign.

See also how is it going to castigate from the Toulouse drama, the UOIF, which is not less or more fundamentalist than yesterday while sending emissaries and messengers to “reassure” the current leaders of the association .

In fact, Nicolas Sarkozy wants to these Islamists, not because they are Islamists. They always have been and will remain. The president candidate has a grudge against the UOIF since 2007 because, against all odds, they had indicated at the previous election, they supported François Bayrou. Sarkozy has never forgiven what he calls their “treason” and does not hesitate to know some of his interlocutors.

And if the household, despite everything, his attacks against the UOIF, it is also because he still needs them. At least until 6 May. And because Nicolas Sarkozy intends to include in its balance sheet and to its credit the creation of the CFCM.

But in truth, the organization no longer exists. This is now an empty shell with a simple legal existence. The UOIF left the CFCM instances without much know. She has access requests from the Ministry of Interior and advisors Claude Gueant who beg for nearly a year, officials of the Islamist organization not to make too many waves about their decision not participate in the elections of the CFCM, scheduled for June 2011. They also refused to participate in the election of officers of the institution supposed to represent Muslims. Why? Because they acted like all fundamentalists. They generally like that when electoral processes are favorable.

Seeing that every election showed that they were in the minority reality, contrary to their official speeches and comments of some of their media relays that tend to often present as if they were THE “representatives” almost exclusive, in any case most large, Muslims in France, while they represent, in reality, a tiny minority, recruited in circles rather identifying with the thought of the Muslim Brotherhood or the highly ambiguous discourse and supposedly “modern” Tariq Ramadan , leaders of the UOIF preferred to leave the CFCM they wanted to lead. In fact, even the Great Mosque of Paris refused to take part in the elections in June 2011, but unlike the UOIF, representatives of Dalil Boubekeur still part of the office. At least for now.

In reality, the deal between the Ministry of Interior and the UOIF has led the latter not to criticize the CFCM or to formalize his departure instances the time to let the President and candidate use the creation as one of the CFCM “major works” of his five years. So-called representatives of a religion that leave a cynical political instrumentalize religion and who, while claiming to “defend” Muslims are working from side to propagate an archaic ideology more political than worship, to provide forums with extremist preachers and another to manage low personal ambitions. Islam in France is decidedly a good leasehold.

Last book published by New World Publishing. The secret history of independent Algeria.
Blog: http://www.mohamed-sifaoui.com