This story of the so-called mosque (in fact, it’s an associative and religious place lacking the characteristics normally recognized to define a “mosque,” primarily a minaret) has become the “Dallas” of Nice.
Like any series, it can be prolonged over time, fueled by new episodes. This is more or less what is happening in the Var plains.
The fact is that Christian Estrosi never accepted this “mosque,” opened against his will, even though it was the municipality (with him already as mayor) that signed the permits for the renovation and restoration work of this former company canteen.
Christian Estrosi denies having known once things were done, but his former first deputy Benoît Kandel, who was in charge at the time of this matter (now an opposition municipal councilor), claims he did nothing without the Mayor’s permission.
Since then, all his attempts to prevent this initiative by the En Nour association, funded by a wealthy Saudi now the Kingdom’s Minister of Worship, have failed.
The prefect Colrat (Christian Estrosi’s nemesis) did not accept the public utility declaration request submitted by the municipality, a decision that would have allowed expropriation of the premises to make them available for the construction of a daycare, as demanded by the mayor of Nice.
The Administrative Court and the State Council having rejected the municipality’s appeals against the mosque’s opening authorization, the mayor refused to sign the act, and prefect Colrat executed it in accordance with the obligation imposed by the law.
That was a year ago… Meanwhile, prefect Colrat has been replaced by prefect Leclerc, who seems to lean toward Christian Estrosi’s “desiderata” or at least has a listening ear.
It is known that one of Christian Estrosi’s best public expressions is “I won’t give up!” words he says with a determined tone that highlights his unwavering willingness to succeed in everything he undertakes.
As they say, from words to actions…
In short, the En Nour association has been bombarded with suspicions: a Tracfin alert for suspected opaque financing, suspicions of a person with an “S” file status in its board of directors, a court request for investigation into administrative irregularities in the renovation works, and so on.
To date, none of these complaints has led to any action.
But Christian Estrosi is a tenacious man (another thunderous slogan of his is “I do what I say.”). He may have found the key to achieving his project’s goal.
How?
In a recent interview published in the local newspaper, prefect Leclerc, while showing Sioux-like caution, hinted at a trail… “If there was a new project, if there was an alternative place of worship, then I could consider the new municipality’s request,” he said or hinted.
The condition of ownership, required by his predecessor as tangible proof of the association’s independence from supposed foreign influence, was downgraded from “essential” to “not sufficient.”
And here is the municipal council’s resolution from yesterday which adds to the daycare a co-working space (the new project) and unveils a plan for the construction of a 1,000 m2 religious area in another part of the Var plain. Thus, two Muslim associations that are part of Alpes-Maritimes Fraternité, known to be close to the municipality, submit the statutes of a new association (approved by the City Hall) to manage this new organization.
The dice are cast, and according to Christian Estrosi’s words during the debate, this seems to be the right path.
Moreover, according to him, the legacy that had granted En Nour the property title of the place was never intervened (despite previous information stating this act at the French Embassy in Riyadh), which would deal a blow to the credibility of the En Nour association that had ‘announced it.’
In this case, it would be a scam, but by whom? The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Worship? The French Ambassador to Riyadh? Given the individuals’ statuses, it seems unlikely.
And then, a verification should be quite simple, right? Has it been done?
This is why we can evoke Dallas and all the schemes that were characteristic of the television series and the reason for its success!
In any case, if the current clues are confirmed by facts, there would remain only one obstacle: the opposition of the En Nour association not to let it happen.
We can already foresee a legal dispute that will make some happy: the lawyers for financial reasons.
