This morning, a Municipal Council will deliberate taking legal action against the Prefect of Alpes-Maritimes regarding his refusal to sign a public interest declaration that would allow the construction of a daycare in place of an association and religious hall promoted by the En-Nour association.
The legitimacy of this initiative by the Mayor of Nice, which is likely to be voted on by the municipal majority, will be left to numerous legal experts. The opposition will either be absent, as announced by councilors Arnautu (who denounces “an electoral comedy”), Bettati, and Kandel, or will vote against it, as motivated by the ecologist group who describes it as “a duplicitous deal.”
Socialists and radicals of the left will express their opinions in the chamber, but given their past positions, they will likely be among those opposed. As for the group of Gaรซl Nofri and Martine Martinon…
The quarrel should not even exist if we stick to logic and common sense, but unfortunately, in this case, we are far from both. Why should one have to choose between a place of worship and a daycare, both useful infrastructures, albeit for different reasons?
Who can deny the right of Niรงois of Muslim faith to gather and pray in a venue where they have a concession? And if the neighborhood needs a daycare for future residents, it is evident that a location for its construction must be found. The Var Plain has enough space for this.
On this matter, Benoรฎt Kandel points out that “on November 14, 2015, the Bid Commission examined the reassignment of the purchase of private daycare spaces (14 lots) and no increase in places was requested.”
Is it possible that the matter has asymmetric relevance based on other requirements?
The truth is that this “little war” has a different origin and purpose.
According to documents released by former First Deputy Benoรฎt Kandel, the Mayor of Nice, both directly and indirectly through his administrative services, had given his approval to this initiative since 2009, which is one year after his election.
Incidentally, Benoรฎt Kandel points out an obvious fact: Pontremoli Street is in the electoral district of Christian Estrosi and in the canton of Madame Estrosi-Sassone: “Knowing the attention that both elected officials give to anything affecting their electoral interests, how can we believe that they were unaware of what could happen?”
At the time, however, the problem of Islamism was far from having the current impact on a public opinion that is increasingly Islamophobic.
So, with a National Front increasingly present in the region and with the by-election on May 22 and 29 in his former constituency, any hypothesis of collaboration with… the enemy must be blocked. On the contrary, he adopts an uncompromising stance…
“The building is owned by the Saudi Arabian Minister of Religious Affairs who, I remind you, advocates Sharia law,” stated the Mayor of Nice, who must be well-acquainted with the political landscape of that country to know so much.
Unhappy, the Mayor of Nice adds: “I want transparency regarding the funds that allow a place of worship in my city and my region,” and calls on Tracfin to detect their origin.
On this subject, the Mayor of Nice, who has also held governmental responsibilities, should know that his request is at least overdue, if not inappropriate.
In fact, “Tracfin is an intelligence service attached to the Ministry of Finance and Public Accounts. It contributes to the development of a sound economy by combating underground financial circuits, money laundering, and the financing of terrorism. The service is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and enriching the suspicious transaction reports that obligated professionals are required by law to report to it.”
As a matter of fact, the transmission of Saudi funds to the Nice association to finance the purchase and renovation of the hall on Pontremoli Street could not have escaped the careful and prior examination of this service.
Moreover, how could it go unnoticed, especially when funds come from a Saudi Minister!!!
Therefore, Tracfin did not need the deliberation of the Nice Municipal Council to do its job and report any potential anomalies to the competent authorities.
That being said, pitting a prayer room against a daycare, it had to be done. What demagoguery!
