France Upholds Six-Month Mosque Closure Over Quranic and Islamic Teachings
A French administrative court has upheld a six-month closure order against the Chanteloup mosque in Aulnay-sous-Bois, near Paris. The mosque is expected to remain closed until January.
The Montreuil Administrative Court rejected a request to suspend the July closure order. Authorities cited several issues involving sermons and religious material, including the recitation of seven Quran passages, references to major Islamic works such as The Garden of the Righteous and The Forty Hadiths, and sermons discussing hell and punishment for unbelievers.
Rafik Chekkat, a human rights lawyer representing the mosque, criticised the ruling and questioned whether imams in France remain free to quote the Quran during religious services.
Chekkat said the mosque would appeal to France’s Council of State, arguing that the closure raises concerns about freedom of worship, freedom of expression and France’s principle of secularism.
The court ruled that the prefect of Seine-Saint-Denis had not seriously or manifestly violated freedom of worship or expression.
The case comes amid wider scrutiny of French measures targeting Muslim institutions. Critics argue that security policies have placed disproportionate pressure on Muslim organisations, while French authorities have defended such measures on public-security grounds.
