The imam of Brest, Rashid Abu Houdeyfa, caught by justice – Europe1

Francois Hollande called it “hate preacher”. Rachid El Jay, better known under the name of Rashid Abu Houdeyfa or “imam of Brest”, is subject to a preliminary investigation indicates The Telegram . According Breton daily, the floor of Brest seized two services, the Regional Intervention Group (Gir) Bretagne, based in Rennes, and the criminal investigation branch of Brest-Quimper, to conduct the legal proceedings open April 21 last.

“Transformed into apes and pigs.” highly controversial figure, Rashid Abu Houdeyfa regularly controversy for his radical sermons, broadcast on YouTube. The best known is undoubtedly the one in which the orthodox religious, beard and small round glasses, addresses before a children’s audience that he believes the Koran says of the music. After having ordered one of his students to stop making the battery, the imam says those who love music “will be transformed into apes and pigs.”

From past finances scrutinized. But this is not about those that trained Salafist preacher is directly affected by the law. Because, as admitted Bernard Cazeneuve, the law does not allow to intervene on this point. The investigation by the Breton parquet is primarily intended to check the financial, rather opaque, the imam. Rashid Abu Houdeyfa leads indeed a lifestyle rather expensive and in particular to plans to open a Koranic school. It regularly organizes trips to Mecca, according to Libération , without declaring any corporation identity. But from Le Point , the supporters of the ultra-orthodox preacher believe that “the recent judicial developments have meant that to catch a presidential blunder”.

the errors of the president. man is clearly, like all the “radical imams” in the crosshairs of the government. Guest on the Citizens Dialogues tray, April 14, Hollande ensures that the Al Sunnah where Rashid Abu Houdeyfa delivers his sermons, and religion itself, are in the viewfinder of justice: “This place of hatred closed [...] It is worried. He continued. It is in a legal proceeding. So we must fight against these preachers, these advocates of hatred inducing radicalization “. Except that at that time it was still the subject of any legal proceedings and the mosque in question housed in reality always faithful. Only a search had taken place last November at the home of the imam and his place of prayer.