France Bans Public Muslim Prayers

MUSLIMS will be banned from praying outdoors in France from today in the latest move by officials to remove Islam from the public sphere.

The ban, announced by the government yesterday, infuriated French Muslim leaders, one of whom accused President Sarkozy's government of treating them like cattle.

They say that Muslims, who pray outdoors only because of a lack of space in mosques in France, feel stigmatised.

But Claude Gueant, the Interior Minister, said that the sight of hundreds of people gathering in the streets of Paris and other cities for Friday prayers was "shocking".

It comes after laws to prohibit pupils from wearing headscarves in schools and women from wearing the niqab, the full Muslim veil, in public.

Mr Gueant described outlawing street prayers as the latest brick in the wall that is shoring up the secular nature of the French state. He said that he had nothing against Islam, but wanted it out of the public eye.

"Street prayers must stop because they hurt the feelings of many of our compatriots who are shocked by the occupation of the public space for a religious practice," he said.

Police could be asked to arrest Muslims who continue to pray in the street, Mr Gueant warned, but officials will initially try to persuade them to move into a mosque.

Debate has focused on the Goutte d'Or district in northern Paris. Dozens and sometimes hundreds of Muslims pray in the surrounding streets.

Marine Le Pen, the leader of the National Front, was accused of racism when she said that the worship amounted to an "occupation" - a word that for many French is associated with the Nazi invasion during the Second World War.

But the government now appears to be on the same wavelength, with Mr Gueant agreeing that street prayers would "upset" his fellow countrymen.

He said that officials had made available a disused fire station in the Goutte d'Or with room for 2700 people for a rent of €30,000 ($A40,330) a year.

But Muslim leaders said that the site would be open to worshippers only on Fridays.

Mohamed Salah Hamza, imam at a mosque in the Goutte d'Or district, said: "We are not cattle. Our demands have not entirely been satisfied."

He said that he feared worshippers would continue to pray outside.

"I am in an uncomfortable position and I am afraid there will be a climate of anarchy," he said.

THE TIMES

"To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and [size=28pt]to hear the lamentation of their women[/size]."

"Street prayers must stop because they hurt the feelings of many of our compatriots who are shocked by the occupation of the public space for a religious practice," he said.

nnw niger:

This is a violet religion that's so feared and not trusted by any one. Every government in every country has to protect her citizens from Islam. Its just so difficult to leave with people who's god at any given time will want you dead. You can rationalize it, play with words any how you want, whatever turns you on, its a fact, I'm sorry. There's no place in the face of this earth with Muslim population that has peace, that's an observable fact. May Almighty God save us all from Islam in Jesus name, Amen

ksam:

I will like to ask two question to my muslim brethren,firstly,is it that your mosque can not contain you all or you people just want to show the whole world how prayerfull you are,cos i see no reason why some group of people in the their right mind will come out to street to cause discomfort to people all in the name of praying.Come to kaduna in the town area and see what is happening on friday afternoon,where u will islamic worshipers blocking the most busiest road in kaduna avoiding passage not minding if u are on foot or with a vehicle.try pass close to them,that is when u will receive the greatest embarrassment of your life.that is when u'll see their almajiri soldiers (man no war)harassing u, not minding floging u.it is ABSURD if u will ask me.and i want all this to stop.

From Ileke Idi's first post downward, you guys are sons and daughter of your father Satan, Paul the liar who was a killer from the beginning.

@Islamrules; You are a freaking  disgraceful for screening yourself with an ID Islam in it. You are no muslim, but other. If you think the christians follow Jesus son of Mary, show me examples of how, from the Bible and I will show you from the same Bible how you do not follow him.

The muslims pay their taxes in the so called christian countries they reside. The right of every tax paying citizen is the right of free assembly and of course religion. While the christian nuns are not forced to take off their head coverings, the muslims are. The christians of europe do have their religious assembly, except that they are not religious enough to have a spill over into the street.

A people who are religious are now called evil for standing for what they believe.


Alhamdulillah that I live in a community that understands the need for prayers. So the cops direct traffic just in case the people will spill into the streets in Id. I knew Down South was not for me, a long time ago.