Conflans attack: why BarakaCity, the association of Evry, is in Darmanin's sights

BarakaCity, the Islamist humanitarian association, is it living its last hours?

In any case, this is the wish of the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin.

After the assassination of the history professor of Conflans-Saint-Honorine Samuel Paty, the minister announced on Monday his desire "to dissolve in the Council of Ministers" 51 associative structures, particularly targeting the Collective against Islamophobia in France (CCIF ) and the humanitarian association Baraka City.

Behind the association based in Evry-Courcouronnes since 2012, its founder Idriss Sihamedy is targeted.

He was recently taken into custody on Wednesday October 14 for harassment on Twitter against RMC columnist Zohra Bitan, who had filed a complaint against him.

He will be tried for these facts on December 4 before the Criminal Court of Evry-Courcouronnes.

A complaint against Darmanin for slanderous denunciation

"This is an announcement that scares our Republic, answers Me Samim Bolaky, the NGO's lawyer.

I remember what a former colleague who became Minister of Justice

during the Merah trial: if we have to change the rules, it is because the terrorists will have won.

"Me Bolaky continues:" What I see is that the Minister of the Interior is lacking inspiration and that he seems to be inspired by Twitter.

Last week, a hashtag for the dissolution of BarakaCity was launched… ”

He specifies that a complaint against Gerald Darmanin has been filed with the Court of Justice of the Republic for slanderous denunciation.

The Tweets have been removed, but the board says it has screenshots.

An association "which takes up the cause for radical Islamism", considers the deputy Francis Chouat

The association has often been on the radar of not only legal authorities but also political authorities.

In 2014, the former mayor of Evry and current deputy (LREM) of Essonne Francis Chouat, claims to have alerted "on the duplicity of this association, which behind a legal and humanitarian showcase, takes up the cause of Islamism radical and is an accomplice of terrorist Salafism ”.

The preliminary investigation opened in March 2016 by the Paris prosecutor's office for "financing of terrorism" and "terrorist criminal association" will however be closed.

“Already at the time, we had considered banning it, engages Manuel Valls, then Prime Minister.

We watched a lot.

But from a legal point of view it was not possible.

"

Among Manuel Valls' grievances, the support campaign launched by BarakaCity for one of the members of BarakaCity, arrested in Bangladesh in 2016. “Very quickly the elected officials of Evry realized that it was a propaganda machine launched to obtain funds, support, to make oneself known, he rewinds.

Quite a few people have fallen for the trap.

Then, its leader made himself known on television sets by refusing to shake hands with Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, ”recalls the former mayor of Evry (2001-2012), who approves the government's initiative to want to dissolve BarakaCity.

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"She is one of those associations that flood social networks with their propaganda, their victimhood," asserts the former Prime Minister.

They represent a real danger for our republican values.

The political will to fight against these associations is there.

And I am delighted that this work has taken on a new dimension.

"But Francis Chouat is skeptical:" That will not be enough, he warns, because these networks can be reconstituted ".

"This proposal for dissolution is a real scandal"

As for the president of BarakaCity, he reserves his answers to the 36,000 subscribers who follow him on Twitter.

“This proposal for dissolution is a real scandal,” he wrote.

We bring two million liters of water per day to Africa and operate for two million beneficiaries ”, before attacking Gerald Darmanin:“ He is not a king in his absolute monarchy.

There are texts, laws and penal reasons which must justify the dissolution of an association ”.