The Imam of Gennevilliers, who was dismissed after his sermon, files a complaint against the French Minister of the Interior for “abuse of office”

He has decided to launch a riposte.The imam, who was dismissed after a sermon that Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin called a violation of gender equality and “very discriminatory”, has decided to file a lawsuit against the Interior Minister, according to news channel BFMTV. His lawyer has filed a complaint with the Court of the Republic for “abuse of office” and “violation of the right to free exercise of religion”. The Court, which judges members of the government and their possible crimes, will decide whether or not to open an investigation.

On July 8, the prefecture of the Hauts-de-Seine department summoned Mohamed el Medhi Bouzid, the imam of Gennevilliers, for remarks made during a sermon on June 4, as reported by Valeurs actuelles. In this sermon, he allegedly accused women of “lacking modesty” and that some were “possessed by the devil”. He then took aim at “those who share make-up lessons or outfits on social networks that show off their physique”.

When the Minister of the Interior learned of these remarks, he hurried to contact Laurent Hottieux, the prefect of the department. He instructed the prefecture to “immediately” get rid of the imam “if these remarks are proven”. At first, the president of the Ennour association, which manages the mosque, Mohamed Benali, had denounced the “pressure of the authorities”, BFMTV reports. But he changed his mind and dismissed the imam. “It is the responsibility of the religious association to part with the imam,” the Interior Ministry said at the time. The imam reportedly withdrew on his own decision.According to Le Parisien, this place of worship has also attracted “a growing number of strictly religious visitors for a long time”, of which the minister had been informed. The law against separatism had just been proclaimed and Gérald Darmanin threatened to close the place of worship “in case of recurrence”. According to BFMTV, the imam defended himself against any sexism in a video also aimed at men. His lawyers denounced the “double standards of Darmanin, who debates with Zemmour in public”. On July 23, the imam of the Attakwa mosque in Saint-Chamond (Loire) was also dismissed.

https://www.valeursactuelles.com/politique/evince-a-la-suite-dun-preche-limam-de-gennevilliers-porte-plainte-contre-gerald-darmanin-pour-abus-dautorite/