HEAD OF LOCAL MUSLIM COUNCIL LOOKING FORWARD TO A PRODUCTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MARSEILLE 000009

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 1/25/2017
TAGS: FR PREL PINR PGOV
SUBJECT: HEAD OF LOCAL MUSLIM COUNCIL LOOKING FORWARD TO A PRODUCTIVE
2007

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CLASSIFIED BY: PHILIP BREEDEN, CONSUL GENERAL, AMCONSUL
MARSEILLE, STATE.
REASON: 1.4 (d)

Title: Head of Local Muslim Council Looking Forward to a
Productive 2007


1. (C) Summary: On January 23, 2007 Abderhammane Ghoul,
(protect) President of the Regional Council of the Muslim Cult,
Province Cote d'Azur Region (CRCM-PACA),discussed with
Marseille Consul General his reasons for optimism about 2007.
Major mosque projects in his region are advancing, and the
former President of the CRCM-PACA has finally abandoned his
blocking tactics and gone to the U.S. to pursue academic
activities, allowing the Council to function normally for the
first time in almost two years. However, Ghoul wishes he could
spend more time on "fire prevention rather than fire fighting"
as he is constantly confronted with disaffected and impatient
youth from his community who are frustrated about their lack of
integration in the French economy and society. Although himself
notably mute on the subject, Ghoul also noted that French Muslim
youth are also angry about U.S. foreign policy in Iraq and the
Middle East. End Summary


2. (C) Mourad Zerfaoui No Longer in the Picture:
Fresh from leading around 150 local Muslims on the Hajj,
Abderhammane Ghoul met with Marseille CG over lunch on January

23. He was confident about 2007, mainly because former CRCM
President Mourad Zerfaoui was out of the picture. Mourad
Zerfaoui, a young Algerian-born cleric and biochemist, was the
first president of the CRCM, surprising everyone when he
out-polled Bachir Dahmani, the venerable Algerian-born Imam who
was a city fixture and one of the co-founders of Marseille
Esperance. Zerfaoui, now 39, eventually established a dialogue
with the city, but refused to give up his post when Abderhammane
Ghoul defeated him in the 2005 CRCM elections. For over a year
Zerfaoui refused to vacate the CRCM offices provided by the city
and impeded CRCM work in many other ways. This power struggle
divided the CRCM and made it difficult to work together.
However, Ghoul informed CG that Zerfaoui had finally accepted
his defeat, and moved on - to the US, where he was pursuing
academic pursuits. According to Ghoul, his departure has those
who supported him scratching their heads and wondering what all
the fuss was about, while those who opposed him are relieved and
ready to get down to business. For his part, Ghoul, while glad
Zerfaoui is out of the picture, was somewhat bemused that a
person he considers to be an extremist is now in the U.S.


3. (U) Mosques Moving Ahead
Ghoul informed CG that the association formed to build the Great
Mosque of Marseille would receive the keys for the new site from
the city in March, 2007. Squatters that occupy two buildings on
the site need to be removed by the city, but due to French law
this can't be done until the spring. The architect's plans are
almost done, and Ghoul is seeking financial support for the
renovations that are needed. According to Ghoul, the Algerian,
Moroccan and Tunisian governments are considering in-kind
contributions rather than cash, with each country taking
responsibility for something. CRCM will also soon launch a
national subscription campaign. In Nice, the CRCM is
considering several mosque sites proposed by the city. This is
a turnaround from the city's earlier position of opposing a
mosque in Nice. Saying Mayor Peyrat "had come a long way," from
his days as Front National member, Ghoul was confident this
project was on the right track. In Cannes, a site has also been
provided by the city for a new mosque, and Ghoul has been asked
if the CRCM would allow Interior Minister Sarkozy to lay the
first stone during a trip he will make to the South of France in
March. Given the number of wealthy Muslims from abroad who
maintain residences in and around Cannes, Ghoul said financing
the new mosque will be easy.


4. (U) Marseille Esperance Bis or Imitation is the Finest
Flattery
Ghoul has also been solicited by Christian Estrosi, Minister of
Public Works and President of the Department of the Alpes
Maritime (the region around Nice),for help in setting up a
version of Marseille Esperance for the Alpes Maritime
Department. Marseille Esperance is a symbolic organization
unique in France that was started in the early 1990's by a
former Mayor of Marseille, Robert Vigoreaux. It gathers
together the leaders of all the major faiths in Marseille to
promote intra-religious dialogue and tolerance. It has no
statutory powers but the city provides office space. While it
was at the time widely questioned for the way it linked a
secular institution (the municipality) with religious figures,
it has shown itself to be a very useful tool for maintaining
good relations amongst various faith communities and between
these communities and the city. Ghoul was very pleased that
another region was seeking to emulate this organization.


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5. (U) Comorians Growing in Strength
Ghoul said the Comorians are now the second largest Muslim
community in Marseille, surpassing by a large margin the
Tunisians and Moroccans. The Office Director for Ghoul is
Comorian, and actually spends most of his time in the Comoros
working for the President. (NB: The Comorians are Sunnis of
the Hanafi school, whereas most Maghrebi Muslims are Sunnis from
the Maliki school). Ghoul said they were committed to "making
things work," and he enjoyed good relations with them.


6. (C) Youth are Angry and Impatient
Ghoul remains concerned that he spends too much time on
"fire-fighting and not enough on fire prevention." According to
Ghoul third-generation Muslims feel French, have no desire to
leave, and want to fully exercise their rights in France.
However all too often they either don't know how to work the
system, or lose their patience and boil over into violence.
Jobs are crucial to solving this problem of integration because,
"As soon as they have a job, their behavior changes." Shaking
his head, he said sometimes these younger activists confuse
liberty with the "right to do anything," which leads them to do
unproductive things. He gave the example of a local activist in
a public meeting threatening a sub-prefect that his "people
would start burning cars," if they didn't get their way. Iraq
and anger about US foreign policy in the Middle East only adds
to their frustration level. He said many of those he spoke with
felt the manner in which Saddam Hussein was executed was a
"calculated insult" to Sunnis around the world, and the ongoing
impasse between Israel and Palestine weighs heavily on the
community. That said, Ghoul said he enjoys excellent relations
with the local Jewish community.
BREEDEN