|
Trending Topics
|
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/30/international/europe/30FRAN.html?hp
France Struggles to Curb Extremist Muslim Clerics
(New York Times) - France has expelled dozens of radical Islamic clerics since 2001. Since there is a dearth of domestically trained clerics to lead congregations of European-born Muslims, mosques often import imams who espouse fundamentalist beliefs that grate against Europe's more tolerant societies. Only about 10% of the imams preaching in France's mosques are citizens, and half do not speak French, according to the Interior Ministry. Interior minister Dominique de Villepin said last week that France would have to help Muslims to train moderate prayer leaders to encourage the emergence of a tolerant "French Islam."