The French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) has set this Monday, June 6th, as the “first day of the sacred month of Ramadan for the year 1437 of the Hijri calendar” (a calendar used in the Muslim world counting 354 to 355 days), announced its president, Anouar Kbibech, in a statement. This period of fasting, the fourth pillar of Islam, will take place this year during the Euro football championship (June 10th – July 10th).
A few days before Ramadan, the En Nour association, which is spearheading the project for a religious center located on Pontremoli Street, and whose president is a lawyer, Me Ouassini Mebarek, had requested a temporary opening permit for the establishment.
“The mayor is making it a casus belli, Christian Estrosi wants to impose his directives and does not respect the law,” stated Me Ouassini Mebarek.
The administrative court’s decision was expected this Monday, and it was ultimately in favor of the association: Christian Estrosi has five days to sign the decree allowing the public opening of the En-Nour institute. The decision is accompanied by a penalty of 500 euros for each day of delay.
Initially, the emergency duty judge considered that the condition of urgency was met. He took into account, on one hand, the insufficient capacity of Muslim prayer rooms in Nice, “despite the progress observed in recent years, to accommodate the faithful in dignified, and sometimes even satisfactory safety, conditions, and on the other hand, the period of Ramadan which begins on June 6th.”
Secondly, the emergency duty judge ruled that the refusal by the mayor of Nice to authorize the opening of the “En Nour” prayer room constituted a serious and manifestly illegal infringement on the freedom of worship and the freedom to express one’s religious convictions in appropriate forms, which are fundamental freedoms as defined by Article L. 521-2 of the Code of Administrative Justice.
However, Christian Estrosi refuses to listen on this matter: “the City has decided to immediately appeal to the Council of State. In any case, I will not take any risks with my city, and we will only execute a court decision when it has become final.
“In any event, in this strategic Eco-Vallรฉe sector and with the Euro 2016 approaching, I will take all necessary municipal decrees to maintain public order regarding parking and traffic on Simone Veil and Pontremoli avenues, which provide direct access to the stadium.”
The standoff continues, and the future ex-mayor supports his actions with the backing of other Muslim faith associations rivaling the promoting association.
In short, confusion…
