French Minister Agrees That Lack of Mosques Encourages Radicalisation

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Lack of "dignified" places of worship for France's Muslims fuels radicalisation, claims Thierry Mandon, French simplification minister, a day after Grand Mosque of Paris rector says number must be "doubled" by 2017

A French minister has poured fuel onto the debate about proposals to double the number of mosques in the country within two years, by conceding that France doesn't have enough mosques.

Thierry Mandon, the minister of simplification, said that the lack of "decent" places of worship for French Muslims was partly to blame for some believers turning to radical Islam.

His words came as France struggles to calm community tensions in the wake of the January Charlie Hebdo attacks.

"There aren't enough mosques in France," Mr Mandon told iTele, the TV news channel. "There are still too many towns where the Muslim religion is practised in conditions that are not decent." » | Henry Samuel, Paris | Tuesday, April 07, 2015

Demand for More Mosques in France Raises Tension

France is home to western Europe's largest Muslim population

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Muslim leaders' demand to double the number of mosques in France within two years causes anger

A call by Muslim leaders for the number of mosques in France to be doubled has aggravated community tensions barely three months after the Charlie Hebdo attacks.

"We have 2,200 mosques and we need double that within two years," the Rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, Dalil Boubakeur, told applauding French Muslims at a conference.

Many Muslims believe local authorities in France block applications to open or build mosques and prayer-rooms, leading to overcrowding and protests over prayers held in the streets.

However, the conservative daily Le Figaro said the comments by Dr Boubakeur, generally considered a moderate, were "provocative". » | David Chazan, Paris | Monday, April 06, 2015