The French Council of Muslim Worship (CFCM) wants to continue its mission against all odds. Publicly repudiated by Emmanuel Macron on Thursday February 16, the CFCM held an extraordinary general meeting on Sunday February 19, confirming its desire to overhaul its operation.
► What model for the future of the CFCM?
The body created in 2003 by Nicolas Sarkozy, replaced in its role of interlocutor with the State by the Forum for Islam in France (Forif), will adopt its new statutes on March 12. Until then organized in regional councils (CRCM), the CFCM will reform its governance “on the basis of departmental structures”, he said in a press release, specifying that “will be able to take part, in an equal manner, all the mosques of France”.
This future organization aims to put an end to the “cooption system”, of the federations which represent nearly half of the CFCM officials. One way to put an end to “the ego battles that have undermined the work of the CFCM” in recent years, says Abdallah Zerki, general delegate of the organization.
►Why did the CFCM decide to stay?
Thursday, February 16, Emmanuel Macron had evoked these internal wars, affirming that these had led to his decision to “end the CFCM and its activity in a very clear way”, for the benefit of Forif. Faced with the words of the President of the Republic, some members of the Council doubted the usefulness of continuing.
Questions swept away since Sunday. “The CFCM has existed for twenty years, insists Abdallah Zerki. You can’t erase like that an institution that has helped to calm relations between the state and the Muslim faith. 1,108 mosques participated in our last elections, distributed in all the territories, it is not negligible. »
According to the general delegate of the CFCM, the decision to continue the work of the body was taken naturally, despite the sustainability of Forif. “They are the interlocutor of the State but we are there to organize the Muslim worship”, explains the one who denounces the “interference” of the government in religious affairs. “As always with Islam, the Ministry of the Interior wants to interfere in the organization, he denounces. With Forif, it is the prefects who choose their interlocutors themselves. »
► How can CFCM deal with Forif?
On paper, the missions of CFCM and Forif seem to overlap. For example, the two entities have a working group on the training of imams, claim representation of the Muslim faith and aim to structure it. “The President of the Republic and the Minister of the Interior are free to adopt this or that interlocutor, continues Abdallah Zerki. We are working on our side so that Muslims can organize themselves as they see fit. »
“We don’t look at Forif, their work is not clear,” he laments. However, there is no question of purely and simply turning your back on its members. “Those who want to work with us are welcome,” says Abdallah Zerki. We are open to dialogue and exchanges. »
A dialogue that could open once the future representatives of the CFCM have been elected. After the adoption of the statutes, the Council will solicit all the mosques of France so that they can register on the electoral rolls. The elections will take place after the month of Ramadan, which is due to end on April 21.
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