Status of the Imam, anti -Muslim acts … which Bruno Retailleau should speak in front of the Forif

An opportunity to present some concrete advances. Tuesday, February 18, the Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau will bring together for the first time since his arrival in office all the members of the Forif, this platform for dialogue between the State and the Muslim worship launched in 2022 by Gérald Darmanin. He thus confirms the format chosen by his predecessor to be in relation to the Muslim worship, and definitively turns the page of the French Council of Muslim worship, previous body created in 2003 on the initiative of Nicolas Sarkozy.

During this closing meeting of the second work session of the FOIF, the Minister should take over and support the initiatives carried by the working groups that make up this platform. The latter work on concrete subjects necessary for the proper functioning of Muslim worship, such as the status of imams, the structuring of associations, anti -muslim acts, or the application of the law reinforcing the respect of the principles of the Republic (CRPR) , called separatism law.

“Legally recognize the profession of imam”

Among the new features that meet a strong expectation in the field, should in particular be announced the creation of a referencing Rome code for the Imam profession on the France Work employment platform. For members of the FORIF, this is a significant advance. “This makes it possible to legally recognize the profession of imam, which will ensure visibility and guarantee protection this mission”, Reacts Mohammed El Mahdi Krabch, theologian in Hérault and member of the working group on the Imams of Fore.

So far, in fact, a certain number of imams had only contracts of educators or teachers, the profession not being recognized. However, there remains the question of social insurance to which imams can be faded, which is not yet decided.

This meeting will also be an opportunity to present the implementation of the association to combat anti -Muslim Acts Adam (Defense Association against Discrimination and Antimusulman Acts). Created last year at the initiative of a labor group of FOIF, it intends to fill the void left by the observatory of Islamophobia of the CFCM and the collective against Islamophobia in France-dissolved by the government In 2020 – in the task of identifying anti -muslim acts on the territory.

In addition to this counting, this association should be able to designate territorial referents for securing places of worship, with which local authorities may be in relation to the prefect or the public prosecutor. A website should also soon be created to allow victims to report anti -Muslim acts.

Creation of an expert center

On another subject which hampered the daily life of associations, the Minister should evoke initiatives to remedy the fences of bank accounts experienced by a large number of Muslim worship associations – about 27 % of them, according to a FOIF count.

Finally, one of the FIRIF working groups proposes the creation of a center of expertise which would be able to help Muslim associations to comply with the separatism law.

After this plenary session, these different results will be presented after the month of Ramadan at the territorial assizes of Islam in France – bodies which bring together Muslim actors around the prefect in the departments – to be discussed. A new FIROF session should start at the start of the next school year.