France will ban radical Islam clerics
Source: Agencies |
March 27, 2012, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
FRANCE will bar radical Muslim preachers from entering the country to participate in an Islamic conference next month as part of a crackdown after shootings by an al Qaida-inspired gunman, President Nicolas Sarkozy said yesterday.
Sarkozy, who has announced plans to punish those viewing Islamist websites and going abroad for indoctrination, said he would block the entry of some imams invited to a congress organized by the Union of French Islamic Organisations (UOIF).
The UOIF, one of three Muslim federations in France, is close to Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood.
"I have clearly indicated that there certain people who have been invited to this congress who are not welcome on French soil," Sarkozy told France Info radio.
He cited Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian cleric based in Qatar who is one of the most prominent Sunni Muslim clerics in the Arab world and a household name in the Middle East due to regular appearances on the Al Jazeera news channel.
A former member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Qaradawi is independent of the group but is close to it. Sarkozy said the situation was complicated because the imam holds a diplomatic passport and does not need a French visa.
"I indicated to the Emir of Qatar himself that this person was not welcome on the territory of the French republic," Sarkozy said. "He will not come."
Sarkozy, who has announced plans to punish those viewing Islamist websites and going abroad for indoctrination, said he would block the entry of some imams invited to a congress organized by the Union of French Islamic Organisations (UOIF).
The UOIF, one of three Muslim federations in France, is close to Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood.
"I have clearly indicated that there certain people who have been invited to this congress who are not welcome on French soil," Sarkozy told France Info radio.
He cited Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian cleric based in Qatar who is one of the most prominent Sunni Muslim clerics in the Arab world and a household name in the Middle East due to regular appearances on the Al Jazeera news channel.
A former member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Qaradawi is independent of the group but is close to it. Sarkozy said the situation was complicated because the imam holds a diplomatic passport and does not need a French visa.
"I indicated to the Emir of Qatar himself that this person was not welcome on the territory of the French republic," Sarkozy said. "He will not come."
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