The 80 Muslims in Bressuire are calling for a more suitable place of worship, arguing that the Muslim community has become too large for the current prayer space. The local religious association hopes to buy a house to construct a prayer room, but the project has brought about considerable opposition from local residents and politicians.
The problem is that the neighborhood where the house is located is set to be renovated. For the mayor Jean-Michel Bernier, establishing a place of worship in the house is neither “wanted” nor “desirable” as part of a city policy that will “without a doubt include urban reconstruction.” The secretary of Bressuire’s socialist party voiced a similar opinion, arguing that the house’s location “could solidify certain opposition.”
The street’s residents are mostly concerned for the neighborhood’s quiet. Members of the local Islamic association did not respond to questions “in a gesture of peace.”
