what is accused of the Grand Mosque of Paris
A ” scandalous and unfounded cabal “. This is how the rector of the Grand Mosque Chems-eddine Hafiz described the accusations against him, during his presentation of wishes on Thursday, January 23 in the evening. A few days earlier, a newspaper article Opinion had questioned the opacity of a system for issuing halal certifications for products exported to Algeria, exclusively managed by the Grand Mosque of Paris.
Chems-eddine Hafiz denounced a “unprecedented media campaign” carried out according to him against the Grand Mosque of Paris, and specified that all the information concerning the halal certification agreement had been “made public (…) upon signing of these agreements in December 2022”accessible on the Grand Mosque website.
► What does the “Opinion” survey say?
In an article published on January 22, theOpinion directly implicates the rector of the Grand Mosque, for his management of an agreement concluded in 2022 between the institution and Algeria. According to the daily, this agreement makes halal certification, exclusively delivered by the Grand Mosque of Paris, mandatory for many products exported from the European Union (EU) to the North African country. “ Without this label no European industrialist can hope to pass Algerian customs », assures the newspaper.
This certification is obtained against payment of a tax, the amount of which is, for example, 10 cents for a kilo of chocolate or 6 cents for a kilo of yogurt.
“ At the head of the commercial company issuing these certificates is the rector Chems-eddine Hafizsole associate president, and his right-hand man, general manager Mohammed Louanoughi”continues the newspaper. “The two men can independently manage the funds of this company without being subject to transparency obligations “.
► What are the amounts involved?
Although the rates applied to products covered by halal certification may seem low, they must be put into perspective with export flows to Algeria. For example, with 55,000 tonnes of yogurt and dairy products having been exported from the EU to Algeria in 2023, “this brings us very quickly to a sum of 2.2 million euros”continues the newspaper. However, the turnover declared to the tax administration amounts, for 2023, to only 1.7 million euros.
“ I don’t receive any money, everything goes to the management of Muslim worship », assures in the daily the rector Chems-eddine Hafiz, referring to donations to associations. “All dividends are used to finance the exercise of Muslim worship, as the statutes of the new commercial company provide,” the rector of the Grand Mosque once again defended himself during his vows.
► Is the system opaque?
Another criticism leveled against the management of this agreement: the opacity of the certification process. According to a milk manufacturer interviewed by Opinion« there are no real controls – which, incidentally, can put us in difficulty with our religious clients, in the event of a dispute “, he points out, denouncing a system “ strictly financial “.
To pass Algerian customs, products must be certified. Including those who are not subject to any religious restrictions. “ Extending halal to cosmetics and biscuits is total theological nonsense » criticizes the Islamologist Ghaleb Bencheikh, declared opponent of the rector, in Opinion.
This Friday on BFMTV, the rector denied having put in place a “tax” system. “ I am not a commercial enterprise, I play a religious role”he declared, claiming to be “paid for a service »
► What were the reactions?
Several alerts have already been sent to Brussels on the subject. According to Le FigaroMP Abdelouahab Yagoubi, representative of the Algerian community for the North of France, warned last March against “ the massive manipulation of the halal brand »
According to Opiniona meeting with representatives of the European Commission took place on December 11 on prices, certification deadlines and the reality of controls, and a dispute settlement procedure was initiated by the European Commission at the request of management General of the Treasury in France.
For his part, MEP François-Xavier Bellamy (LR) contacted the European Commission. In Le Figarohe declares to find “abnormal that this tax which does not say its name goes to a private company”deploring the monopoly of the company “Grande Mosquée de Paris – halal certification”
This system imposes millions of euros per year on farmers and manufacturers in our countries, and poses, in the current context, a real security problem. I am appealing to the European Commission, responsible for the functioning of the internal market, to put an end to this without delay. pic.twitter.com/yL5HgVVWPw
— Fx Bellamy (@fxbellamy) January 21, 2025
Four years after the promulgation of the “separatism” law, these revelations come in the midst of tensions between Paris and Algiers, linked to the continued detention of the Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal and the arrests in France of seven Algerian influencers.
