He slammed the door after the announcement last month of the creation of a National Council of Imams (CNI), and he was not ready to reopen it on Tuesday, on the eve of the presentation in the Council of Ministers of bill “reinforcing the republican principles. But what door ultimately, when you have not been invited into the room?
Mohamed Bajrafil, media imam who has preached in Ivry-sur-Seine for 14 years has decided, he says, to abandon his office, his “imamate”, to protest against the fact that the “first concerned”, the imams, no. ‘were’ not consulted ‘.
“It’s ubiquitous as a situation”
“Can you imagine an order of doctors decided by people other than doctors? This is an ubiquitous situation! “, Justifies the theologian and teacher who insists on the fact that his decision” has nothing to do with Ivry and his faithful “, that he” does not give up “. “I am tired of the climate, the suspicions and the tensions which unfortunately prevail in the media-political landscape on the subject of Islam. This combined with the unilateral decision taken by I do not know who to label imams without even associating ourselves … I gave 21 years of my life to my country, to religion. I told myself that others could do the same ”.
He says “like all imams” to have been faced with a fait accompli, the reception in mid-November of representatives of the federations members of the representative body of the Muslim religion at the Elysee Palace by the Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin to present the outline of this project. A National Council of Imams whose creation was “unanimously decided by the components of the representative body of Muslim worship”, which has become “an emergency and a necessity so that imams can exercise their missions within a clearly established framework and applicable to everyone on the whole of the national territory ”, indicated the CFCM on November 19.
Imams subject to a “code of ethics”
Through this CNI, “composed of the presidents of the 9 component federations of the CFCM and speaker imams”, the imams will have to submit to a code of ethics but also to “a charter of respect for republican values”. “Two principles will be inscribed in black and white: the rejection of any political Islam and any foreign interference”, explained on November 19 to Parisian the Elysee. All the components of the CFCM will have to add to this text, “so as to remove the ambiguities”.
Way of proceeding which is for Mohamed Bajrafil “problematic from the start”. “The idea is very good, he assures. I understand that the state needs an interlocutor. But the way he’s doing it isn’t right from my point of view. He considers that the Head of State relies on this advice while “70% of Muslim associations in France do not adhere to the CFCM”, and that he is composed according to him of federations which remain closely linked to countries of origin. A cult management “without tail or head”, for him. “We say that we want an Islam from France but we continue to reason on ethnic bases”, explains Mohamed Bajrafil, specifying that he does not speak “as a Comorian (he was born there, editor’s note) but as a French! “.
“I have no problem at Ivry”
“Every time I saw this in a mosque, I left. In Ivry, there are no such considerations of country of origin, assures the one who preached there for 14 years. I didn’t see Algerians or Moroccans there, I saw French Muslims there, period ”. A “paradox” for him to leave his office in these circumstances, for this reason. “What is special is that generally when an imam leaves a mosque, it is because there are problems. I have no problem at Ivry. The faithful and the team remain my brothers, my friends. And I remain Ivryen at heart ”.
The time he spent there coincides with the length of time the project for a new mosque has been in existence, which he continues to “carry and support”. “The project will continue,” confirms PCF mayor Philippe Bouyssou. We are engaged in something good ”. In April last year, together with the Annour collective, they jointly presented this project which should take place in the heart of Ilot Jean-Jacques-Rousseau. “He embodies this vision of an Islam in France present in everyday life. He helped a lot and we regret his choice ”, reacts the elected representative recalling that he has“ no opinion to have on the religious aspects ”while evoking the“ friendly relations ”that he was able to establish with him. , “As with the priest! “.
“I don’t owe anyone anything”
In Ivry, “we are fortunate to have a collective which unifies everyone and which is not linked to any federation”, explains the elected official. An independence that Mohamed Bajrafil also prides himself on. “I am not linked to anyone, I do not have a federation, assures the latter. I didn’t sign a contract with anyone. And today I am so happy because I am leaving peacefully, I owe nothing to anyone ”. Contacted about the reasons which made Mohamed Bajrafil renounce his position as imam, the Elysee press service referred to the Ministry of the Interior which did not answer us. The CFCM, contacted, did not react.
Original article by : www.leparisien.fr
