France Tolerance Towards Islam unlike the US where Mosques are Banned Often
Prime Minister Fillon attends mosque opening French Prime Minister Francois Fillon is expected on Monday to open a huge new mosque in the Paris suburb of Argenteuil, home to some 28,000 Muslims. It is the first time in the history of the French 5th Republic (since 1958) that a prime pinister of this rigidly secular state has attended such an inauguration. The Al-Ihsan mosque, built on the site of a disused Renault factory, was bought by an Algerian businessman 20 years ago. Its imams will be appointed by Algiers. The building can hold up to 2,500 worshippers and includes a Koranic school. Fillon will be accompanied by Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux, whose portfolio of responsabilities includes France’s diverse religions, as well as immigration.