France Shuts Down Mosques, Confiscates Weapons and Propaganda

By Gryffindor (Own work) [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY 2.5], via Wikimedia Commons
By Gryffindor (Own work) [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY 2.5], via Wikimedia Commons
Mosques suspected of radicalization; French authorities find war grade weapons and jihadist propaganda.

After the November terror attacks in Paris, there is absolutely no doubt that the higher authorities and government officials are taking all the necessary steps in an attempt of protecting their country.

France Shuts Down Mosques, Confiscates Weapons and Propaganda[/tweetthis]

France has closed three mosques in a state of emergency crackdown after the mosques showed a pattern of radicalization. However, terrorist analysts say that such kinds of tactics have a very slim chance of being repeated again in the United States. The attacks, which left almost 130 people dead, has been claimed to have been done by the Islamic State extremists.

One of the mosques, which was located in Lagny-sur-Marne, just 22 miles east of Paris was shut down because the authorities came across a 9mm revolver, a hidden computer hard drive, and some Jihadist propaganda. Yesterday, IB Times reported ammunition for Kalashnikov assault rifles was also confiscated. It was even later revealed that the mosque was also running an unauthorized Quran school. The owner of the revolver has now been arrested. Nine other people have also been put under arrest and 22 of them have been banned from leaving the country.

The other two mosques which have been shut down are located in Gennevilliers and Lyon respectively.

The Interior Minister has referred to these three mosques as being "pseudo-religious associations." The state of emergency, which was declared right after the attacks in Paris, are likely to be in effect until February. During this time, the authorities are allowed to conduct raids in wide latitudes, banning public gatherings, and also making arrests.

Since the attacks which took place in Paris on November 13, the police have conducted raids all throughout the city. As a result, they have also arrested 232 people, conducted 2,235 searches, as well as seized 334 weapons. Of these 334 weapons, 34 of them have been found to be of war grade. The police have also commented that such a huge number is usually seized over the course of a year, not within fifteen days.

Defending these measures, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazaneuve said, "It is the terrorism that is the threat to freedom, not the state of emergency."

Continuing, Cazanueve said, “In 15 days we have seized one-third of the quantity of war-grade weapons that are normally seized in a year.”

Flashpoint Analysts Evan Kohlmann has also said that radicalization has not been a very popular trend whenever mosques in United States are concerned. This was the case even when the Islamic radical Anwar al-Awlaki was allowed to preach in Falls Church from 2001-2002. However, he later moved on to Yemen which was the homeland of his parents. Upon reaching there, he joined al-Qaeda and was later killed in a drone strike in the year 2010.

One of the differences which can be found between the American and European laws is that the American laws does not place any restrictions on hate speeches being made. They will not take any action unless any such thing is being said which requires imminent action. This was said by the president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy. He further added if further inclination to violence or weapons could be found, then there is no reason for the matter to be investigated by the Homeland Security.

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