Special Report-France closes mosques with powers that some critics say use ‘secretive evidence’

A woman reads a prefectoral decree installed on the entrance gates of the Grand Mosque of Pantin, near Paris, France, October 20, 2020. REUTERS/Antony Paone

ALLONNES, France (Reuters) - For three years, Karim Daoud ran the mosque in this small town in northwest France. He also coached kids’ soccer teams and for more than two decades has worked for the local council's youth services.

Daoud was among those who visited a nearby Catholic church to express solidarity following a deadly Islamist extremist attack at a church in southern France in 2020.