'Wife-beating' cleric deported
A Muslim prayer leader who condoned wife-beating was expelled from France for a second time today.
Abdelkader Bouziane boarded an Algeria-bound flight from the south-eastern city of Lyon.
“Mr Bouziane is on the plane,” Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin told parliament. “I salute this decision that today allows us to pursue, to expel foreign citizens who insult or call for violence against women.”
Bouziane was first deported to his native Algeria in April on orders from the Interior Ministry.
But the imam returned to France a month later after an administrative court suspended the ruling.
France’s highest administrative body, the Council of State, on Monday overturned that suspension, clearing the way for Bouziane to be deported again.
He was arrested this morning near one of his homes in Lyon.
France fears some imams are spreading messages of violence in their mosques.
Bouziane, 52, condoned the beating of adulterous wives in an interview.
Asked about stoning, he agreed it was permissible.
He has said that the Koran, the Muslim holy book, authorises such punishment – an interpretation rejected by most Muslims.
