The Council of State confirmed on Friday the expulsion of Tunisian imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi, considering that some of his sermons incited discrimination against women and Jews. “Some of the comments made in public by the person concerned, in the context of sermons which had a certain audience, can be held to constitute acts of explicit and deliberate provocation of discrimination against women,” states the judgment rendered in summary proceedings.
The Council of State also mentions “acts of provocation to hatred or violence against groups of people” and in particular, “in the current international context, comments relating to Jews” as well as “those criticizing French society and valuing holy war.”
The imam of Bagnols-sur-Cèze (Gard) was arrested and then deported on February 22 to Tunisia. Seized in summary proceedings, the administrative court validated this referral on March 4. The Council of State notes that Mr. Mahjoubi, being married to a Tunisian living in France with whom he had six children, “is not devoid of any ties in Tunisia”, and that expelling him does not contravene respect of his family life.
Mahjoub Mahjoubi, targeted by an investigation for advocating terrorism and for radical preaching, was expelled shortly after his arrest. The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, then denounced the “unacceptable comments” of a “radical imam”.
The imam had made himself known a few days earlier through a video circulating on social networks in which he described the “tricolor flag” – without specifying whether it was the French flag – as a “satanic flag” which would not have “no value with Allah.” He then defended himself by evoking a “slip of the tongue”, explaining that he was in reality denouncing the rivalries between supporters of Maghreb countries during the recent African Football Cup of Nations.
