Imam Mahjoubi’s expulsion: CAGE exposes French Islamophobia on Le Media

Paris - In an interview with the influential and independent French media outlet, Le Média, Rayan Freschi, Researcher at CAGE International, examines the recent expulsion of Imam Mahjoubi as part of France's wider Islamophobic systematic obstruction policy towards its Muslim citizens. Providing context, Rayan also traces the roots of CAGE International, highlighting its steadfast commitment to advocating for the rule of law and due process.

Reflecting on the post-9/11 era and its impact on France, Rayan scrutinises the manifestation of the global war on terror within French borders. Drawing from CAGE International's seminal report, We are Beginning to Spread Terror: The State-Sponsored Persecution of Muslims in France, Rayan exposes the insidious nature of France's Islamophobic agenda, particularly the implementation of the "systematic obstruction" policy enacted by the government in February 2018. This policy, as detailed in the report, has resulted in draconian measures targeting Muslim citizens, including the shuttering of mosques, civil society organisations, charities and schools.  

The interview also sheds light on the ban faced by CAGE International’s Managing Director, Muhammad Rabbani, who has been unjustly barred from entering France and as a result other EU states. This forms part of France’s relentless assault on independent Muslim civil society. The driving force behind Rabbani’s ban was his public exposure of the French government’s appalling treatment of its Muslim citizens at the OSCE’s annual Human Dimension Conference in Warsaw, Poland.