(CNSNews) Eva Cahen - A study by undercover police forces reveals that the number of radical mosques in the Paris area has increased by 10 in the last year, with 32 mosques now under the control of extremists, Le Monde reported. According to Olivier Roy, a senior researcher at the French National Center for Scientific Research, the radicalization of mosques is a result of the growing Salafism movement. This neo-fundamentalist interpretation of Islam, which uses doctrines from the Saudi Arabian Wahhabis, appeals particularly to young, second-generation Arabs. Some Salafist radicals are believed to be linked to al-Qaeda and other terror groups, and the increase of radical-controlled mosques is regarded as a threat to security in France and Europe. "Not all Salafists are terrorists but all terrorists are Salafists," said Roy.
2004-03-02 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive