A court cleared the way Friday for the return to France of a Muslim cleric who was expelled to Algeria after advocating wife-beating and stoning of women.
| Nice while it lasted, eh? |
Wednesday's expulsion of Abdelkader Bouziane separated him from his children who remain in France, the administrative court in the southern city of Lyon said, temporarily suspending the deportation. The ruling allows the imam to return to France at his own cost — at least until the court rules in several weeks whether the expulsion order was legal. The court did not order the French government to arrange his return, but expressed "serious doubt" about the order's legality. Bouziane, 52, imam of a mosque in the Lyon suburb of Venissieux, told the April edition of Lyon Mag that a man could beat his wife "under certain conditions, notably if the woman cheats on her husband." He claimed that the Quran, the Muslim holy book, authorizes such punishment — an interpretation rejected by most Muslims. He also said he also favors stoning women.
Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin said Friday he would furnish the Lyon court with additional information to justify Bouziane's expulsion. De Villepin also lodged an appeal, to be examined Monday, against the court's decision to suspend the expulsion order. Bouziane was expelled to Algeria on Wednesday, a day after his remarks were widely reported by French news media and drew swift reaction from authorities and Muslim leaders. Bouziane's lawyer, Mahmoud Hebia, said Wednesday that an appeal would be based on the grounds that his client should not be separated from his family — two wives and 16 children — that remained in France. |