Toulouse imam to face trial for incitement against Jews

An imam in Toulouse is to be prosecuted for incitement to racial hatred over a sermon he delivered in 2017.

Algerian-born Mohamed Tatai, 57, was indicted more than two years ago on a charge relating to “public verbal provocation to hatred or violence” and for allegedly “inciting discrimination, hatred or violence.” The charge followed an investigation into a sermon he gave in December 2017.

A lawyer for CRIF, the representative organisation of the French Jewish community, confirmed on 5th January that Mr Tatai was being prosecuted, though no date has been set for the trial.

In his sermon, Mr Tatai allegedly cited a saying attributed to Muhammad that “on Judgment Day the Muslims will fight and kill the Jews.” Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) obtained video footage of the sermon.

Lawyers for Mr Tatai said that they believed that the charges against him would not stand up in court. In a statement, they claimed that Mr Tatai had “always been on good terms with the representatives of the Jewish community,” and that he had “largely explained” the meaning of his sermon and the “total exclusion of any incitement to hatred”.

This city in south-west France was the site of arguably one of the worst atrocities against French Jews when n Islamist on a “terror spree” attacked a Jewish school in 2012, shooting dead three young children and a teacher.  

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