French Muslims divided over call for mosques to reopen for Eid Al-Fitr

Opinions among Muslims in France are divided about whether or not mosques should reopen in time for Eid Al-Fitr.

The imam of the Paris Mosque, Chamseddin Hafiz, a French citizen of Algerian descent, asked the authorities on May 5 to grant permission for mosques to open for the religious holiday, which is expected to fall on May 24.

His request came after French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told the Senate that the government is willing to consider reopening churches and synagogues on May 29 for the Christian feast of the Pentecost and the Jewish Shavuot, if the situation does not deteriorate after France begins to ease the national lockdown on May 11.

Hafiz vowed to use all legal means to defend the interests of French Muslims. Eid Al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, is just as important as the Christian or Jewish holidays, he said. If a decision is made to reopen churches and synagogues, it would be a double standard amounting to discrimination

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The imam of The Paris Mosque has asked the authorities to grant permission for mosques to open for the religious holiday.

if Muslims are prevented from celebrating their religious holiday, he added.

Mohamed Moussaoui, a French citizen of Moroccan descent and president of the French Council of the Muslim Faith, does not agree with Hafiz’s comments. He said the lockdown must be ended and mosques reopened in a way that guarantees the health and security of Muslims. He also pointed out that they were informed before Ramadan began that mosques would not reopen in time for Eid.

“We are talking as if the crisis is behind us but it is not,” said Moussaoui. “All scientists are saying that a second wave of the pandemic might occur, with a possible increase in the number of infected persons and new admissions to intensive care. If that were indeed to happen, it would be unreasonable to permit large gatherings.

“Eid Al-Fitr means gatherings of very large numbers; there might be as many as 2 million people who would want to go to mosques. For me, the most essential question to ask is whether on May 23 we will be able to tell the faithful who want to go to mosques that they are safe and that they should not worry.