France closes mosque after cleric incites hatred against Christians, Jews

The French government on Tuesday ordered the immediate closure of a mosque in the Northern part of the country over an attempt by cleric to incite hatred against Christians, Jews and members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community in the area.

The mosque in Beauvais, a town of 50,000 people and about 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Paris, will remain shut for six months, according to the prefecture of the Oise region where Beauvais is located.

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The government said the cleric’s sermons :”incited hatred, violence and defended jihad.”

The French government had earlier this year announced it would begin to check places of worship and associations suspected of spreading radical Islamic propaganda.

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