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| Europe |
| France Deports 'Radical Islamist' |
| 2010-01-09 |
| French authorities said Thursday that they have arrested and deported an Egyptian imam described as "a radical Islamist" and suspected of having issued calls to violence. The move comes just a few weeks after French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged France's Muslims to practice their faith with "humble discretion." The move also is occurring as the country is considering ways to tighten security checks on travelers originating from several, mainly Muslim countries, after the alleged attempt to bomb a Detroit-bound flight on Christmas Day. France's Interior Ministry said that Ali Ibrahim El Soudany, who was arrested on Thursday and immediately put on a flight bound to Egypt, had called on followers "to fight against the West" in recent sermons at several mosques near Paris. "People who preach hatred and have nothing in common with freedom of faith, don't belong to our territory," Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux said in a statement. The imam had been under watch for several months, Mr. Hortefeux said. Mr. El Soudany, who was still on board a plane late Thursday according to an Interior Ministry spokeswoman, couldn't be reached to comment. Officials at mosques where Mr. El Soudany is believed to have delivered sermons declined to comment. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #1 Good for the French. Wish the English speaking world had enough balls to do this. |
| Posted by: ed 2010-01-09 22:42 |