Advertisement

Don't turn churches into mosques, says Sarkozy

Ben McPartland
Ben McPartland - [email protected]
Don't turn churches into mosques, says Sarkozy
Sarkozy, seen here visiting a mosque, has toughened his stance towards Islam. Photo: AFP

Former president Nicolas Sarkozy has signed a petition in a far–right magazine under the title “Don’t touch our churches” after a French Muslim leader called for former places of Christian worship to be converted into mosques.

Advertisement

Sarkozy added his name to a list of signatories that includes controversial writer and political journalist Éric Zemmour and philosopher Alain Finkielkraut, as well as Jeannette Bougrab, partner of the late Stéphane Charbonnier, Charlie Hebdo editor .

The petition, published in the magazine Valeurs Actuelles comes after Dalil Boubakeur, the rector of the Grand Mosque in Paris said he was in favour of turning old churches into mosques due to the serious shortage of places of worship for Muslims.

In France there are currently 2,500 mosques, with another 300 under construction, but Boubakeur says the number falls far short of what is needed.

With upwards of 5 million Muslims in France – the largest Muslim population in Europe – Boubakeur and other imams suggest as many as 5,000 mosques are needed.

But his call stirred up a hornet’s nest and Sarkozy has come out firmly against the idea. So too has former French president Valéry Giscard d’Estaing.

"The French Catholic churches [have been] part of the historical heritage of the French population for ten centuries," he said.

A poll published alongside the petition suggests they are not alone, with 67 per cent of French people apparently opposed to the idea.

"Even if France [has been] deeply de-Christianised since the 1960s, there is a real commitment… to the Christian roots and their symbols," Jerome Fourquet, Ifop’s director of opinion and strategy, told the magazine.

Sarkozy has toughened his stance towards Islam in recent months, calling for a ban on the veil in universities and substitute meals in schools.

The former president came under fire earlier this year when his Republicans party held a conference to debate the role of Islam in France. Muslim groups announced a boycott of the talks claiming they stigmatised their religion.

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also