Is it the role of a town hall to finance Muslim worship in its city?
The debate continues in Allonnes (Sarthe), where the mosque was closed two weeks ago, due to Salafist orientations and sermons advocating jihad and sharia.
To read also "Humiliate the disbelievers", "prepare for combat" ... The Islamist sermons which led to the closure of the Allonnes mosque
In a city council broadcast yesterday Wednesday on the municipality's Facebook page, Mayor Gilles Leproust (PCF) answered questions from the opposition. To the questions of the first opponent (without label) Gaëtan Cordelet, the mayor gave in response new elements concerning the management of the "
intercultural room Yvon Luby
", which housed the two religious associations today in the viewfinder of the State. "
Yes, the provision of premises is free,
" said the elected official, confirming a rumor that had been circulating for several days. The mayor pleaded "
identical treatment to that of the church of Allonnes
": "
For the two cults, that is to say the church and the mosque, the treatment is the same, we make our rooms available free of charge,
”he said.
If the law of 1905 on the separation of Church and State provides for provision within the framework of premises already existing at the time of its adoption, which is the case for the Saint-Martin church in the city, The first references to which date back to the 11th century, however, it does not concern the “
Yvon Luby intercultural room
”, built a dozen years ago. A situation on which
Gaëtan Cordelet
"
wondered
", stressing that "
the law prohibits the provision of means by a cult if it is exclusively and perennial, a condition that seems to meet the mosque of Allonnes, installed for years in this municipal hall
”.
The opponent, who had also asked the question of the payment of water and electricity bills in the room, was also answered that "
no billing was made
" to Muslim associations.
"
Maintenance and cleaning are their responsibility
", finally qualified Gilles Leproust.
To the question of possible financial aid paid by the municipality to the two associations which are now inactive, the mayor replied in the negative: "no subsidy is paid", he said.
Read also Mosque of Allonnes closed: the town hall regrets not having received "any warning signal" from the State
