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French Muslim body calls for imams to require 'licence to preach'

President of the French Council for the Muslim Religion (CFCM), said the country's imams should be given a...

Afp November 24, 2015

PHOTO: REUTERS

PARIS: France's leading Muslim body called Tuesday for imams to require a permit to preach in a bid to root out extremists, and for a new religious body to fight back against militant propaganda.

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Anouar Kbibech, president of the French Council for the Muslim Religion (CFCM), said the country's imams should be given a certificate - "like a driving licence" - that ensured they promoted a "tolerant and open Islam".

The CFCM said it would hand out the permits by testing theological knowledge and adherence to French principles, and make them sign an "imams' charter" in which they agreed to "respect the laws of the Republic".

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Kbibech did not say whether he thought the process should be obligatory for all imams.

"The time for action has come. The Muslims of France will play their part," said Kbibech.

He also said the CFCM would set up a "religious council" that would challenge extremist ideology using theological arguments.

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Coming 11 days after the attacks that killed 130 people in Paris, Kbibech said those who engaged in violence would "never have the support of France's Muslims".

COMMENTS (3)

someone | 8 years ago | Reply High time for all civilized countries to learn it from China on how to control the religion of peace. I hear that Chinese are deal effectively.

RingingThrice | 8 years ago | Reply This is what we seriously need in every country. Here in Pakistan, anyone can go build his own mosque and start preaching his own ideas, mostly about hating others and hence forming their own sects. As far as I know, there is only one mosque here that is supervised by Saudi Arabia govt., making sure people preach only what the scholars allow. Only problem is, it does hand the small party that is monitoring mosque a lot of power. But as long as govt. take action against them if they start making people preach something that is putting other people lives in danger, it will be fine.

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