The Council of State has confirmed the expulsion of Tunisian Imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi, stating that some of his sermons incited discrimination against women and Jews. The judgment, rendered in summary proceedings, highlighted that some of the statements made in public by Mahjoubi, during sermons that had a certain audience, could be considered acts of explicit and deliberate provocation to discriminate against women. The Council of State also mentioned acts of provocation to hatred or violence against groups of people, including comments related to Jews and criticizing French society while valorizing holy war.
Mahjoub Mahjoubi, the Imam of Bagnols-sur-Cèze in France, was arrested and deported to Tunisia on February 22. The Administrative Court validated his expulsion on March 4. The Council of State observed that Mahjoubi, who is married to a Tunisian woman living in France with whom he has six children, has ties to Tunisia and therefore expelling him does not violate respect for his family life. Mahjoubi was targeted in an investigation for promoting terrorism and delivering radical sermons, leading to his expulsion following his arrest. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin condemned Mahjoubi’s “unacceptable remarks” as those of a “radical Imam.”
A few days before his expulsion, Mahjoub Mahjoubi gained attention through a video circulating on social media where he referred to the “tricolor flag” – without specifying whether it was the French flag – as a “satanic flag” with no value in the eyes of Allah. He later defended himself by claiming it was a “slip of the tongue,” stating that he was actually denouncing rivalries between supporters of Maghreb countries during the recent Africa Cup of Nations football tournament. The communication surrounding Mahjoubi’s expulsion by Gérald Darmanin was criticized for being hasty and premature.
In conclusion, the expulsion of Tunisian Imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi was confirmed by the Council of State based on his incitement to discrimination in his sermons against women and Jews and provoking hatred or violence against various groups of people. Despite being married to a Tunisian woman and having children in France, Mahjoubi’s ties to Tunisia were cited as not conflicting with his expulsion. The case highlighted the contentious issue of radicalization and inflammatory rhetoric within religious communities and the measures taken by authorities to address such concerns to ensure public safety and social cohesion.
