Centenario de la Gran Mezquita de París, nuevo desencuentro entre Marruecos y Francia

The Grand Mosque of Paris is 100 years old. The temple, built by Morocco, was erected in homage to the Muslims who fought in the French army during the First World War. According to data from the Ministry of Defence gathered by AFP, some 70,000 Muslim soldiers died during the war.

As Moroccan historian Jilali El Adnani recalls, on 22 October 1922, Sultan Moulay Youssef - accompanied by the then French president, Gaston Doumergue, and several Moroccan and French dignitaries - laid the first stone of the mosque.

Subsequently, after its inauguration in July 1926, the historian - quoted by Le360 - explains that for a period of almost 32 years the temple was directed by the Moroccans Kaddour Benghabrit - of Algerian origin but naturalised Moroccan - and Ahmed Benghabrit. Under the leadership of Kaddour Benghabrit and during the Nazi occupation of France, the mosque served as a refuge for partisans and Jews, who were given documents identifying them as Muslims.

However, El Adnani also notes that there have been attempts to "erase the Moroccan footprint" from the mosque by the French authorities in favour of Algeria, especially during the mandate of former President François Mitterrand, who considered the mosque a "Mecca of Moroccan nationalism".

For this reason, France supported the election of an Algerian rector to head the mosque. French Prime Minister Guy Mollet appointed the French-Algerian Hamza Boubacar as imam of the mosque in 1957 until 1982, a period that, according to Al-Arab, 'marked a turning point' for the mosque. During those years, efforts were made to change the mosque's "identity" and eliminate its links with Morocco. On the other hand, since 2015, Algeria has been developing measures to place the Paris mosque under the exclusive supervision of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. 

However, as El Adnani stresses, history is "inalienable". "This mosque is part of Moroccan culture, the traces of which will remain engraved forever," he says. In order to "put an end to misinformation and restore the truth", the historian points out that he possesses a number of authentic documents, including letters and photos. "This mosque is a Moroccan work, it is its DNA," he adds.

Despite historical evidence, the current French government continues to attribute the origin and construction of the mosque to Algeria, notes Al-Arab. The Arab daily - based on analysts - suggests that, through this stance, President Emmanuel Macron is trying to establish a solid relationship with Algiers in the midst of the energy crisis ravaging Europe, in which the North African country may become a key player. 

For months, there has been talk of a 'silent crisis' between France and Morocco. This rift is intensifying as Paris tries to move closer to Algiers to defend its own interests.

The Franco-Algerian ceremony scheduled for this day is one of the latest events demonstrating Paris's interest in closer ties with Algeria, but it is not the only one. Recently, French television station CNEWS cancelled at the last minute a planned interview with Ferhat Mehenni, president of the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia (MAK) and Algerian political dissident. Analysts warn that Algiers may use the gas as a "weapon" to put pressure on Europe to silence the exiled political opposition on the continent.