France: Grand Mosque boycotts elections for Muslim council

Two months ago the Belgian Muslim council was disbanded when members couldn't get to an agreement about choosing their leadership.

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Leaders of the Paris Grand Mosque say they are boycotting elections next month in France's best-known Muslim organization.

The move throws into doubt the future of the French Council of the Muslim Faith.

Mosque leader Dalil Boubakeur said Saturday the council's voting system in the June 8 election is unfair and would dilute the role of worshippers of Algerian descent.

The council has long faced tensions between Algerian- and Moroccan-backed factions. It was formed six years ago with backing of then-Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy — now the French president. The goal was to improve communication between Muslims and the government.

France has more than 5 million Muslims — the most in western Europe — most of whom have origins in former French colonies.

Source: IHT (English)

See also: France: Muslim countries vying for influence on local Muslims, Belgium: Muslim Executive disbanded