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Paris Expels Hani Ramadan for ‘Posing Threat to Public Order’ | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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A photo taken April 14, 2007 shows Hani Ramadan delivering a speech during the annual meeting of Muslims in France. PHOTO: AFP


Paris – An Egyptian-born Swiss cleric was expelled from France on Saturday for past remarks and behavior that “posed a serious threat to public order”, according to the French Interior Ministry.

The French authorities expelled controversial Swiss preacher Hani Ramadan, who posed “a serious threat to public order”, the ministry said in a statement, as reported by AFP.

Ramadan, whose brother is the intellectual Tariq Ramadan and whose grandfather founded Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, was arrested in Colmar, eastern France.

Police detained Ramadan as he attended a conference in the French northeastern city, which is close to the border with Switzerland.

He was escorted back to his home country, according to the French interior ministry.

The statement added that Ramadan was “known in the past to have adopted behavior and made remarks which pose a serious threat on French soil.”

“The interior ministry and the forces of law and order are fully mobilized and will continue to fight ceaselessly against extremism and radicalization,” Interior Minister Matthias Fekl said in the statement.

In 2002, Hani Ramadan was dismissed from his teaching post in Switzerland after writing an article in French newspaper Le Monde in support of the implementation of Al-Sharia with regards to the stoning of adulterers, AFP said.

Six years later he won 345,000 Swiss francs (S$480,177) compensation over the sacking.

AFP added that Ramadan’s brother Tariq was banned from entering the United States.