TOP LEBANESE IMAM URGES MUSLIMS TO ENGAGE FRANCE

Prominent Islamic scholar Muhammed Abu Zaid has urged Muslims in France to cooperate with the government. But he told Deutsche Welle (DW) that the authorities should also foster dialogue with the Muslim community.

France's latest steps in combating Islamist extremism at home have been closely monitored in Arab countries. The brutal killing of French teacher Samuel Paty, who had shown his pupils cartoons of the prophet Muhammad in class, prompted French President Emmanuel Macron to defend the use of the cartoons and France's secularism, which in turn triggered anti-French protests in many Muslim countries. Macron's statements that he saw "Islam as a religion in crisis" fanned the flames further, as did his interior minister's recent announcement on the potential closure of nearly 80 mosques in France.

Related Story: "France Warns Citizens to be Cautious Over Muslim Anger"

Sheikh Mohammed Abu Zaid, Chairman of the Sunni Court and imam of the largest mosque in Saida, near Beirut, however, believes that only peaceful collaboration will improve relations. "Using the state's power and authority will do the opposite," he told DW. Abu Zaid is widely known as an Islamic scholar focused on dialogue. He is the author of 18 books advocating for a moderate, peaceful Islam and dialogue with non-Muslim or minority-Muslim countries. He has also taught at Stanford University in the US, and was among the first imams to travel to Denmark after protests erupted over the publication of cartoons of the prophet Muhammad in 2005.

"Muslims and the French government need to focus on three aspects," the prominent imam believes. Firstly, he sees the necessity for the French government to be open to the Muslim community of around six million people in France — Europe's largest — by collaborating with their leadership. "Otherwise, people will feel over-ruled," he said. Secondly, he recommends that imams be trained and qualified in the country they live in. Thirdly, he says, it's crucial to raise awareness that closing mosques will only lead to new problems. "People will not stop praying or listening to imams, they will just do this secretly."