Legal battle over closure of Al-Kindi Muslim school group in France

Monday 10 March 2025 - 12:05

By: Zahouani Ilham

Legal battle over closure of Al-Kindi Muslim school group in France

In a significant legal case, Al-Kindi, one of the last Muslim school groups still associated with the French state, will contest the termination of its contracts before the administrative court in Lyon on Monday. The decision to end these contracts, which involves removing vital subsidies for the institution, was made following inspections that revealed “failures and dysfunctions.”

On January 10, the Prefect of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region announced the termination of contracts with the Al-Kindi school, which includes a primary school, middle school, and high school. The reason cited was that the institution was allegedly “promoting a project that contradicts the values of the Republic.”

Located in Décines-Charpieu, a suburb of Lyon, Al-Kindi quickly turned to administrative courts, seeking to halt the decision. The termination would deprive the school of the salaries of many teachers, amounting to 1.7 million euros next year.

Al-Kindi’s legal team argued that the consequences were “manifestly disproportionate” compared to the “insubstantial” grievances presented by the authorities. The school’s response addressed several points raised by the administration, particularly the claim that seven books in its library were deemed “separatist” in an inspection report. The institution claims that these books, part of traditional Islamic literature, are found in various institutions, including municipal libraries, and have been removed from the library following the inspection.

Furthermore, Al-Kindi asserts that it has amended its internal rules to eliminate gender differences and removed a teacher who made controversial remarks on his YouTube channel. The school argues that these corrective measures render the prefecture’s decision “disproportionate.”

In its appeal, the school also pointed out that other private institutions, such as the Stanislas College, avoided sanctions by bringing their practices into compliance with the terms of their contracts. The school additionally noted that Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau had publicly praised the prefect’s decision, suggesting political motives behind the move.

Al-Kindi is currently the last Muslim high school under contract with the state, following the termination of the Averroès High School in Lille, once considered the flagship of Muslim education in France. In late 2023, the prefect of the North region decided to terminate the contract with Averroès, accusing it of teaching content contrary to the values of the Republic. The administrative court of Lille rejected two appeals and is expected to review the case in the near future.