France to go tough on ‘fundamentalist’ Imams

 
French interior minister says Imams who preach violence will be stripped of French nationality.

 
PARIS - France's tough-talking Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy promised "zero tolerance" Tuesday for Muslim leaders who encourage attacks such as the bombings in London on July 7 and said he would strip them of their French nationality.

"We have to be much stricter against those who indoctrinate young suicide bombers," he told Liberation newspaper.

"I am going to launch proceedings to deprive French imams who preach violence and fundamentalism of their nationality; systematically expel those who do not respect our values and are not French; and step up monitoring of places of worship where extremist activities have taken root.

"It is going to be zero tolerance," said Sarkozy, 50, who is also head of the ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party and a likely candidate in presidential elections in 2007.

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