Source: Morocco World News

Crime

France announces arrest of new Algerian influencer amid Paris-Algiers tensions The two countries have been responding to each [other’s] accusations, with French officials calling for measures to address Algeria’s 'hostile' approaches.

January 17, 2025   

(Morocco World News) France announced on Thursday the arrest of a new Algerian influencer, identified as Mahdi B. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau announced that police arrested the influencer on Tuesday for a video in which he allegedly showed intent to carry out […]

Government & Politics

Algeria lashes out at France after failed deportation of TikTok influencer Algeria’s defiant rejection of France’s complaints reveals a regime desperately trying to deflect attention from its diplomatic failures by blaming 'far-right' French officials.

January 11, 2025   

(Morocco World News) In a combative response that further strains diplomatic relations, Algeria rejected French accusations of “escalation” and “humiliation” on Saturday, January 11, after refusing to accept a deported Algerian social media influencer. The latest diplomatic row erupted when Algerian authorities […]

Government & Politics

Algeria rejects France-expelled influencer, sparks outrage France launched a campaign cracking down on influencers who are inciting hatred through images, videos, or texts, confirming the country’s commitment to combat extremism.

January 10, 2025   

(Morocco World News) Former French officials, netizens, and activists have condemned Algeria’s refusal to accept the return of an Algerian influencer, who France expelled on Thursday. French police arrested the influencer known as Doualemn on TikTok on Sunday in Montpellier, after he […]

Internet

France arrests second Algerian TikToker over terror threats After openly threatening supporters of anti-Algerian regime protesters in France, two TikTok influencers with large followings were arrested in separate raids Friday.

January 4, 2025   

(Morocco World News) French authorities have arrested two Algerian social media influencers on Friday, for allegedly making terrorist threats and inciting violence through TikTok videos. The second arrest came just hours after the first one, as announced by French Interior Minister Bruno […]

Clothing

Switzerland’s burqa ban takes effect as of January 1 The question remains whether these laws are a step toward equality or a step backward in the protection of individual freedoms.

January 1, 2025   

(Morocco World News) The controversial burqa ban has officially taken effect today, January 1, in Switzerland, prohibiting the wearing of full-face coverings in public spaces. The law, which passed through a nationwide referendum in 2021, echoes an ever-growing wave of restrictions and […]

Academics & Education

Muslim school sues French politician for defamation The school administrators claim French officials are going all-out to rescind the state funding of the last Muslim school in France.

December 17, 2024   

(Morocco World News) The Al-Kindi school group, a Muslim private school in Décines-Charpieu, a commune in the region of Lyon in south-eastern France, is suing a French MP for defamation after the politician accused the school of “denying history” and not teaching […]

Academics & Education

France’s only Muslim high school faces potential contract termination France’s Muslim community has been grappling with the country’s increasing anti-Islamization measures.

December 4, 2024   

(Morocco World News) Al Kindi, the only Muslim private high school in France, is facing the threat of contract termination by the Rhone prefecture. The threat could potentially end the school’s official association with the state. According to the website Lyon Capitale, […]

Law Enforcement

Spain commends Morocco’s role in joint ISIS-affiliated terror cell dismantling The coordinated raids targeted six individuals in Madrid, Ibiza, Ceuta, and three others in Tetouan and Fnideq.

November 26, 2024   

(Morocco World News) Spanish authorities have publicly commended Morocco’s General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance (DGST) for its instrumental role in dismantling an ISIS-linked terror cell on November 22. The cell, composed of nine members operating in Morocco and Spain, posed what officials […]

Law Enforcement

Spain, Morocco team up to arrest two Daesh suspects The operation was conducted under the oversight of Spain's Central Investigation Court, in coordination with the Public Prosecutor's Office of the National Court.

October 19, 2024   

(Morocco World News) The Spanish National Police, in collaboration with Morocco’s Directorate General for Territorial Surveillance (DGST), arrested two individuals in northern Spain suspected of being linked to the terrorist organization Daesh. The arrests took place on Friday in the towns of […]

Law Enforcement

Morocco, Spain collaborate to arrest 8 terror suspects Morocco frequently called for a shared responsibility to address security threats, particularly terrorism.

July 5, 2024   

(Morocco World News) Morocco’s security services and the Spanish Civil Guard announced on Friday arresting a group of eight terror suspects in a joint operation. The joint operation between the Spanish Civil Guard Intelligence Service and Morocco’s General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance […]

Clerics & Preachers

France [deports] Algerian imam over accusations of hate speech Mohamed Tataiat arrived in France in 1985 and has been serving as an imam in Toulouse since 1987.

April 20, 2024   

(Morocco World News) Mohamed Tataiat, an Algerian national serving as an imam in Toulouse, France, has been deported back to Algeria following his conviction for inciting hatred and violence against the Jewish community. The deportation took place on Friday evening, according to […]

Fasting

French Football Federation opposes match breaks for Muslim players in Ramadan This contrasts with the decisions of countries like England and Germany, who have allowed measures to give Muslim players a chance to break their fast before resuming the match.

March 13, 2024   

(Morocco World News) The French Football Federation (FFF) has once again opposed the implementation of breaks during matches for Muslim players to break their fast during Ramadan. According to converging media reports, the FFF’s Federal Referees Commission (CFA) sent an email to […]

Clerics & Preachers

French interior minister announces plans to introduce new ‘imam status’ The success of the status will depend on the willingness of Muslim communities in France to embrace it

February 29, 2024   

(Morocco World News) Following the expulsion of Imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi to Tunisia, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin unveiled earlier this week the designation of “imam in France” status. The minister made the announcement in a speech tackling the notion that Islam is […]

Clerics & Preachers

France to cease acceptance of foreign-appointed imams starting 2024 France’s history of controversial measures has fueled concerns that this latest move is a continuation of policies targeting Islamic practices.

December 30, 2023   

(Morocco World News) French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has announced that France will no longer accept new “detached imams” from foreign countries starting on January 1, 2024. The announcement follows President Emmanuel Macron’s 2020 decision to end the presence of around 300 […]

Law Enforcement

Morocco, Spain team up to arrest terror suspects in Nador, Melilla The arrests came less than a week after a similar joint Spanish-Moroccan counterterrorism operation.

December 19, 2023   

(Morocco World News) The Moroccan Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) and Spanish authorities carried out a joint counterterrorism operation, during which several terror suspects were arrested in Nador, Morocco’s Oriental region, and in the Spanish enclave of Melilla. The BCIJ arrested […]

Law Enforcement

Morocco, Spain dismantle terrorist support network Spanish authorities arrested five people in four different provinces, according to Spanish police.

December 16, 2023   

(Morocco World News) Spanish police announced on Saturday that they dismantled a network that helped plan and finance the activities of ISIS members, in collaboration with Morocco’s General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST). Spanish authorities arrested five people in the provinces of […]

Law Enforcement

French police reject Muslim man’s application because of prayer mark on forehead Karim’s boyhood dream of serving in the French police force has been shattered because of his visible devotion to his faith.

September 21, 2023   

(Morocco World News) The Paris police prefecture rejected a Muslim’s man application to join the police academy because of a prayer mark on his forehead, French news outlet MediaPart reported last week. Karim, the 24-year-old Muslim man whose application was rejected, spoke […]

Burkini

Council of State suspends burkini ban in south-eastern France The Council of State ruled that the ban violated 'three fundamental freedoms: freedom of movement, freedom of conscience, and personal freedom.'

July 19, 2023   

(Morocco World News) The Council of State, France’s highest court, has suspended the burkini ban imposed by the municipality of Mandelieu-la-Napoule on its beaches, arguing that there was no evidence that the burkini posed risks to public order. This ruling by the […]

Law Enforcement

Morocco, Spain team up against ISIS threats, arrest two suspects Morocco’s counterterrorism approach prioritizes international cooperation against terrorism and transnational crimes.

July 19, 2023   

(Morocco World News) Morocco’s Central Bureau of Investigations (BCIJ) has announced the arrest of an ISIS suspect in the city of Nador today. The ISIS suspect had been operating between Spain and Morocco, according to a statement from the General Directorate of […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

French writer Michel Houellebecq says he is a ‘part-time Islamophobe’ The best-selling French writer is notorious for repeatedly arguing that Islam is not compatible with France's 'Republican values.'

January 5, 2023   

(Morocco World News) French writer Michel Houellebecq has strikingly admitted to condoning and promoting an anti-Islam discourse, sarcastically pleading guilty to being “a part-time Islamophobe.” France has a problem with Islam The writer made his shocking remarks as he barely emerged from […]

Clerics & Preachers

Belgium wants to deport imam Hassan Iquioussen to Morocco Morocco’s government canceled a consular pass for imam Iquioussen’s deportation in September 2022.

January 1, 2023   

(Morocco World News) Authorities in Belgium are seeking to deport Moroccan imam Hassan Iquioussen to Morocco. News outlet BFMTV quoted sources that Belgium will deport the imam directly to Morocco. Belgian authorities arrested Iquioussen in September of last year. The imam has […]

Clerics & Preachers

Police in Belgium arrest Moroccan imam Hassan Iquioussen France issued a European arrest warrant against the imam after the French Council of State gave the green light for his deportation.

September 30, 2022   

(Morocco World News) Belgian Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne announced today that security services in the European country arrested French-Moroccan imam Hassan Iquioussen. AFP quoted the Belgian minister confirming the news. “I can confirm to you that he was arrested today by […]

Clerics & Preachers

Lawyer of Imam Iquioussen denounces French interior minister’s ‘political show’ The French-Moroccan imam is accused of promoting hate speech.

September 3, 2022   

(Morocco World News) Lucie Simon, Imam Hassan Iquioussen’s lawyer, on Friday confirmed that her client left the French territory in compliance with the ministerial expulsion decision without specifying his whereabouts. In an interview with BFM TV, Simon decried the “political show” carried […]

Law Enforcement

Morocco helps Spain arrest two terrorists in Barcelona, Austria The two detainees received military training and gained combat experience in Syria.

August 6, 2022   

(Morocco World News) Morocco’s General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST) recently collaborated with Spanish authorities to arrest in Spain and Austria two foreign terrorist fighters believed to be members of a global jihadist organization. The two foreign terrorist fighters hold Moroccan nationality […]

Clerics & Preachers

French court suspends expulsion of Moroccan imam Hassan Iquioussen Reports suggested that France would expel the imam to Morocco after Minister of Interior Gerald Darmanin decided to issue an expulsion order against him.

August 5, 2022   

(Morocco World News) The Paris Administrative Court on Friday suspended the expulsion order of Moroccan-French imam Hassan Iquioussen. The court ruled in favor of the imam, suggesting that his expulsion would cause a “disproportionate attack” on his private life and family. The […]

Clerics & Preachers

NGO slams France for threatening to expel French-born Moroccan imam France’s interior minister is accusing the imam of promoting hate speech against the country’s values.

August 2, 2022   

(Morocco World News) The League for Human Rights (LDH) issued a statement on Monday to denounce the French government’s decision to expel Moroccan imam Hassan Iquioussen. The NGO argued that both Minister of Interior Gerald Darmanin and the prefect of the Hauts-de-France […]

Clerics & Preachers

France uses controversial law to expel Moroccan imam Iquioussen France's interior minister claims that the imam has been promoting hate speech against the country’s values.

July 29, 2022   

(Morocco World News) France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that his country is set to expel Moroccan imam Hassan Iquioussen. The minister publicly accused the France-born Moroccan imam of adopting “hate speech against the values of France, contrary to our principles of […]

LGBT

Berlin mosque sparks outrage for raising rainbow flag in support of LGBTQ+ The self-proclaimed liberal mosque prides itself on being a breeding ground for liberal practices that are forbidden in other mosques across the world.

July 4, 2022   

(Morocco World News) The Ibn Rushd-Goethe mosque in Berlin is embroiled in a major controversy over an unprecedented decision to raise the rainbow flag on July 1 ahead of Friday prayer to show support to the LGBTQ+ community. Attendees of the flag-raising […]

Clerics & Preachers

France orders ‘provisional reopening’ of Beauvais mosque The decision comes following the eviction of the previous imam over charges of inciting hatred and 'defending terrorism.'

May 16, 2022   

(Morocco World News) Frances’s administrative court of the northern city of Amiens has decided to give a “provisional reopening” of the Great Mosque of Beauvais after being closed for six months for “unacceptable” preaching. The French lawyer for the association managing the […]

Government & Politics

Darmanin describes Muslim-rights organization as ‘foreign influence by Islam’ The recurrent targeting of mosques and Islamic organizations is centered around politically-popular Islamophobia.

January 21, 2022   

(Morocco World News) The French government intends to replace the country’s largest Muslim-rights organization with one free from “foreign influence” amid a crackdown on Islamic organizations in France. French Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin announced on January 20 that the French […]

Arts & Entertainment

New year wishes: Imam of Bordeaux grand mosque criticizes Maitre Gims Maitre Gims released a video earlier this year, criticizing Muslim fans for wishing him a happy new year.

January 7, 2022   

(Morocco World News) Tareq Oubrou, the rector of the grand mosque of Bordeaux, France, has criticized Congolese-French rapper Maitre Gims after he called on his Muslim fans to stop sending him new year and birthday wishes, considering the practice to be “un-Islamic.” […]

Christians

Morocco’s intelligence enabled France to prevent terrorist attack in church The data enabled France to prevent a serious terrorist attack that a national planned in a church in France.

April 6, 2021   

(Morocco World News) Morocco’s General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST) handed France essential information about a French woman of Moroccan origin, who was plotting a terrorist attack in a church. The data enabled France to prevent the attack, a statement from the […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

DENK: The Dutch party offering a new form of Dutch politics DENK is a multicultural party that aims to introduce a new way of doing politics in the Netherlands, and provide a counter-voice to growing intolerance.

March 13, 2021   

(Morocco World News) Dutch political party DENK spoke with Morocco World News to explain how they want to do things differently and what sets them apart. Amid turbulent times in Europe, the Netherlands is organizing a national parliamentary election on March 17. […]

Marriage

Hassan Shibly: Prominent Muslim-American figure accused of domestic abuse Amid the controversy, Muslim feminists call for supporting abuse survivors but condemn the Islamophobic recuperation of gender justice.

January 31, 2021   

(Morocco World News) Hassan Shibly, a Syrian-American civil rights attorney and a notable Muslim-American leader, is facing accusations of domestic abuse. On December 28, Shibly’s wife Imane Sadrati posted a plea for help on Youtube. She asked for financial support and solidarity […]

Government & Politics

France cracks down on ‘Islamist separatism,’ shuts down 9 mosques The closing of mosques is part of France’s massive surveillance operation targeting its Muslim minority.

January 17, 2021   

(Morocco World News) French authorities have shut down 9 mosques since the month of December. “Among the 18 places of worship that were particularly monitored at my request, 9 were closed down,” the French minister of interior [Gerald] Darmanin tweeted on January […]

Government & Politics

Morocco slams Belgian minister for accusations of mosque infiltration Morocco’s representative in Belgium calls on the Belgian minister to avoid 'baseless' accusations that can lead to needless tensions with a strategic ally.

January 10, 2021   

(Morocco World News) Morocco has responded to the Belgian Minister of Justice Vincent Van [Quickenborne] after he accused Moroccan intelligence of mosque infiltration. Van Quickenborne, who claimed that Morocco had infiltrated the mosque in Cinquantenaire park in Brussels, described the mosque’s director […]

Crime

Tariq Ramadan’s new CHIFA research center to explore ethics, feminism Some have critiqued Ramadan’s announcement of the center as an attempt at a comeback from his various sexual misconduct allegations.

August 28, 2020   

(Morocco World News) Tariq Ramadan on Tuesday announced his latest project — the creation of CHIFA, a research and training center for students around the world. Topics of study will include religion, spirituality, humanism, psychology, ecology, and teaching. CHIFA will also offer […]