French Court Upholds Ban on “Annual Gathering of Muslims of West,” Sparking Wide Criticism

French Court Upholds Ban on “Annual Gathering of Muslims of West,” Sparking Wide Criticism
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A French court has upheld a decision by local authorities in the Loire-Atlantique department to ban the “Annual Gathering of Muslims of the West,” which had been scheduled to take place in the western city of Nantes.

The ruling has drawn criticism from local officials and event organizers, who said the decision deprived thousands of Muslims of a social and religious occasion they had been awaiting.

Nantes Mayor Johanna Rolland announced that the city’s administrative court had approved the prefecture’s decision to prohibit the event, noting that the ban was issued just one day before it was due to begin.

Rolland expressed regret over the ruling, saying it had deprived thousands of Muslim citizens and their families of an annual gathering they were accustomed to attending. She stressed that “the Republic must bring people together, not divide them,” and expressed solidarity with the organizers and participants who had planned to attend.

The Loire-Atlantique prefecture said on Friday that Prefect Fabrice Rigoulet-Roze had ordered the ban under instructions from French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. Authorities said the decision was based on concerns that some participants, including officials from the “Muslims of France” association, might make statements that could be considered unlawful or contrary to republican principles and human dignity.