The Mayor of Nice had announced it: a plot of land in the Plain of the Var would be made available to the Muslim cultural association, which is part of Alpes-Maritimes Fraternité, the association that brings together representatives of various faiths.
This has been done since yesterday, with the symbolic planting of an “olive tree of peace,” on the site of the future mosque, which will have an area of 3,000 m².
The operation was organized discreetly… one wonders the reason for this discretion, which goes against the usual practices of the municipality that likes to “make things known” (which is to its credit).
This Thursday morning, the mayor’s first deputy, Philippe Pradal, symbolically planted an “olive tree of peace” with imams on the site of the future mosque. The latter will be built on a 3,000 m² plot of land in the Plain of the Var.
The discretion surrounding this ceremony raises questions: is it due to the Mayor of Nice’s preference for one or more associations under his influence, while the rival En Nour operates without worrying about maintaining good relations with the mayor?
Who constantly seeks to undermine the existence of this association, which benefits from funding from the Minister of Religious Affairs of Saudi Arabia, a target for the Mayor of Nice and his associates, who continuously find reasons to prove administrative irregularities and suspicions of seditious propaganda activities, a rather delicate and singular accusation if directed at an official of a country with which France maintains diplomatic relations!
Despite many vain attempts, the Nice municipality was dismissed by the administrative tribunal, the Council of State in its appeals, the former Prefect Colrat signed the authorization for the religious activity, the public investigator did not accept the alternative nursery project proposed by the municipal services, which would have allowed expropriation for public utility reasons, the Public Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the suspicions of illicit financing, the Mayor of Nice does not declare himself defeated.
He has just announced – this time without discretion – a legal appeal to the Court of Appeal and a case to the Minister of the Interior relying on new administrative elements.
Will he be more successful than in all previous attempts?
It would be interesting to know what lies behind this small war between cultural associations and why the Mayor of Nice has so clearly sided with one party and against the other.
Electoral reasons – accuses the Rassemblement Républicain through its leaders’ voices – or protection of loyalists against “rebels”?
What is known is that the Muslim community is difficult to understand from the outside and even less clear within: personal rivalries, influence trading of religious sensitivities, issues regarding the diverse origins of immigrant communities, state balances… the sphere is complex and lends itself to various interpretations.
If we add the aspect of financing – states? sponsorship? autonomy? – of the various groups, one begins to understand that the balances are not easy, and the reasons for opposing each other are numerous and go well beyond mere religious activities.
In intellectual fairness, it must be reported that a year and a half after its establishment, the En-Nour Institute has never caused any public order issues with its activities.
