Tunisian Imam Deported From France Vows To Appeal Decision

Imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi

“The radical Imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi has just been expelled from the national territory,” declared French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin

He was deported to Tunisia, within twelve hours of his arrest.

Imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi, a Muslim cleric, was deported 12 hours after his arrest. He is allegedly pushing a “backward, intolerant, and violent conception of Islam,” according to the French Interior Ministry.

Imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi, a Muslim cleric from Tunisia, was arrested for making remarks that the French government deemed “unacceptable” and, as a result, deported him from the country.

In a statement released on Thursday, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin described the cleric as a “radical Imam” and warned that he would be immediately expelled less than 12 hours after his arrest.

Mahjoubi had spent the previous 38 years residing in France. Prior to this, he was in administrative detention in the Paris area; his precise whereabouts and terms of his expulsion were unknown. According to Franceinfo, the country's radio and television network, the Imam was traveling to Tunis on a Thursday night flight.

The French Interior Ministry cheered France's immigration laws for Mahjoubi's quick deportation and accused him of promoting a “literal, backward, intolerant, and violent conception of Islam” in order to justify the expulsion. They suggested that such ideologies might encourage behavior at odds with French values.

Mahjoubi started the controversy when he called the French tricolor flag “satanic” in a social media post.

“The radical 'Imam' Mahjoub Mahjoubi has just been expelled from the national territory, less than 12 hours after his arrest. This is a demonstration of how the Immigration law, without which such a rapid expulsion would not have been possible, makes France stronger. We won't let anything go,” Darmanin posted on 'X' (formerly Twitter) Friday

Speaking at the Ettaouba mosque in Bagnols-sur-Ceze, southern France, Mahjoubi has consistently denied any misconduct and defended his remarks, claiming that they were misunderstood and emphasizing that he never intended to disrespect the French flag, according to a BBC report. This is in spite of his expulsion.

He was taken into custody earlier this week after a video of him calling a “tricolour flag” “satanic” and asserting that it has “no value with Allah” went viral online.

Many of the comments under the video assumed it was the French flag, even though the Imam made no mention of any specific flag. The imam apologized to the BBC for the uproar his video had caused, referring to it as a “slip of the tongue.”

According to media reports, his attorney announced plans to challenge the decision and appeal the expulsion procedure.

According to French media reports, the government expressed concerns about Mahjoubi's ideology and expressed fear that it could lead to discrimination against women, identity withdrawal, tensions with the Jewish community, and the encouragement of “jihadist radicalization.” This was evident in the expulsion order.

“Instructions were given to issue a ministerial expulsion order against this radical ‘imam’ who made unacceptable remarks, and he was the subject of a home visit and an arrest. Without the immigration law, this would not have been possible. Firmness is the rule,” the minister posted on 22 February.

The French government declared that it will not tolerate any form of impunity.