Loveever_Groups: Re: [bitsremembers] Fw: FRANCE TO SHUT DOWN UP TO 160 MOSQUES

I agree with Ashok. Radicalization of all religious stripes should be opposed, especially during times like what we are going through. Extremist views are being given legitimacy all across the world by leaders who should know better. Hope better sense prevails.

Going back to the article, it was published by an organization called "The Church Militant" and here is what they are, in their own words:

"The Church Militant (Ecclesia Militans) is the Christian militia. The Church Militant does battle against sin, the devil, and the demonic "rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12)"

Their motto -- "Christians are born for combat"

Personally, I will be also wary of this organization as any that they are advocating against. Curiously, this article was carried by many right wing sites, in most cases as their own without any citation.

While news reports indicate that France considered shutting down a large number of mosques, the best I can tell, they have closed just 3 so far. What is significant is that the religious leaders of the Muslims in France are actively supporting the shutting down of the ones that are preaching militant ideals that may or may not be based on scriptures.

That said, France has a long and troubled history with North African Muslim countries especially Algeria. France illegally occupied Algeria for 130 years until 1962 but not before a brutal Algerian war took hundreds of thousands of Algerian lives (million+ according to the Algerian side). Couple of tens of thousands of French also died. Atrocities were heaped on people on both sides although the French held the upper hand militarily. Torture was used routinely. During a part of the occupation of Algeria, the colonial law of 1865 allowed Arab and Berber Algerians to apply for French citizenship only if they abandoned their Muslim identity.

Peace!

Ramanan

On Sun, May 29, 2016 at 10:44 PM, 'Ashok Bhow' ashokbhow@gmail.com [bitsremembers] <bitsremembers@yahoogroups.co.in> wrote:

Wish we could do so in India for all radical preaching institutions.

Warm regards,
Ashok

From: bitsremembers@yahoogroups.co.in [mailto:bitsremembers@yahoogroups.co.in]
Sent: 29 May 2016 17:31
To: Bitsremembers
Subject: [bitsremembers] Fw: FRANCE TO SHUT DOWN UP TO 160 MOSQUES [2 Attachments]

[Attachment(s) from Madhav Segal included below]
Shouldn't this happen in India?
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

FRANCE TO SHUT DOWN UP TO 160 MOSQUES

PARIS In the wake of the November 13 Paris terrorist attacks that claimed more than 130 lives, the French government is ordering up to 160 mosques to be shut down in the coming months. Raids have revealed large stashes of weapons and ammunition.
The government's emergency powers grant it the right to take this extraordinary measure, and mosques that are unlicensed or have a history of "preaching hatred" are being singled out.
One of France 's chief imams, Hassan El Alaoui, said last Wednesday, "According to official figures and our discussions with the interior ministry, between 100 and 160 more mosques will be closed because they are run illegally without proper licenses, they preach hatred, or use takfiri speech.
"Takfiri speech involves sectarian slurs leveled by one Muslim against fellow Muslims.
"This kind of speech shouldn't even be allowed in Islamic countries, let alone secure countries like France ," El Alaoui said.
Many mosque raids revealed large stashes of weapons and ammunition.

Weapons and Ammunition Seized from a Mosque,
Meanwhile, several of these mosques have been raided, revealing a "staggering" number of weapons and ammunition. Sunday, authorities conducted a raid on a mosque in Lagny-sur-Marne, 18 miles east of Paris , and‚ uncovered 334 weapons and a large quantity of 7.62mm Kalashnikov ammunition, along with ISIS propaganda videos.
Police also turned up recordings of chants "glorifying the martyrs of jihad linked to the terrorist organization Jabhat al-Nusra," the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda. The chants were found among teaching materials for youth in a madrassa, or private religious school for boys, connected to the mosque. According to the prefecture of police, "No request was made to open a private school."
Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said, "In 15 days we have seized one third of the quantity of war-grade weapons that are normally seized in a year."
As a result, 232 Muslims have been taken into custody and nine placed on house arrest. It's the third mosque since the November 13 attacks to be shut down, with many more expected in the future. Muslim-owned businesses and homes are also being searched, with 2,235 raided so far.
France currently has the largest Muslim population in Western Europe , with about 2,600 mosques total in the country. The Schengen Agreement, which abolished border checks among the 26 member states, allows residents of the European Union more than 400 million to travel freely throughout Europe without showing identification or being screened. The border policy may be reconsidered, as it gives easy access to undocumented migrants including radical Muslims to infiltrate the country and stage future terrorist attacks.