France's 'imam' decision: Starts from January 1st
A written statement from the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) recalled that on February 18, 2020, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the practice of "seconded imams"—imams sent from other countries—would end starting in January 2024.
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Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin stated that starting January 1, 2024, imams from foreign countries will no longer serve in France.
In a statement on the social media platform X, Darmanin said, "Training imams in France is one of the priorities of the Forum for Islam in France (FORIF) to ensure that our Muslim citizens can freely practice their worship in respect of republican principles."
The statement reported that Darmanin reminded the relevant countries of this decision by Macron through letters, adding, "This letter specifies the status of current seconded imams in France and the status of imams assigned for the month of Ramadan."
The statement further noted that because this issue is governed by various bilateral agreements between France and the countries concerned, the CFCM aims to comment on general principles regarding imams coming from abroad but refrains from commenting on specific situations that may arise.
The statement, which mentions that 270 imams serving in France come from foreign countries, noted that this corresponds to less than 10 percent of the imams serving in the country.
"IT IS DIFFICULT TO GENERATE INTEREST IN THE PROFESSION"
The statement pointed out that all existing religions in France are facing a shortage of clergy for various reasons, and in this context, it was stated that 2,000 of the 7,000 Catholic priests under the age of 75 actively serving in the country come from foreign countries.
Noting that the Muslim community also faces difficulties in this regard, the statement said, "Due to the precarious status of imams and the lack of financial capacity of many mosques to hire imams with reasonable salaries, it is difficult to generate interest in the profession."
The statement drew attention to the fact that candidates enrolled in existing modest Muslim educational institutes do not have student status, and therefore cannot have a student life like others, nor can they receive a recognized diploma at the end of their training.
Emphasizing that solutions must be considered for these long-known difficulties, the statement noted that these challenges are not only financial but also legal and regulatory in nature.
The statement indicated that the CFCM aims to seek solutions to this issue together with the local leaders of the mosques it represents.