Three mosques shut down on radicalism grounds

France has shut down three mosques since the terror attacks in Paris, marking the first time the places of worship have been closed “on grounds of radicalisation”.

In Wednesday’s raid authorities also confiscated a 9 millimeter pistol, a computer hard drive concealed behind a wall and jihadist propaganda.

An additional 22 people were added to a do-not-travel list and nine were put under house arrest.

After the recent terror attacks in Paris, police have so far raided 2,235 homes and buildings, taken 232 people into custody and seized 334 weapons, 34 of them war-grade, according to the French minister.

The state of emergency, which was passed by parliament, permits authorities broad latitude in making investigations, arrests and in ban public gatherings and is in effect until February.

Cazaneuve defended such tough measures by saying, “it is the terrorism that is the threat to freedom not the state of emergency”. In addition, Cazaneuve told reporters, police discovered documents about an unregistered Koranic school.

In the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris last month, France has been taking several precautions to protect its borders and now in a major crackdown, have shut down three mosques. Three mosques suspected of nurturing Islamic radicalization have been closed in the past week.

The other two mosques closed last week were in Gennevilliers, northwest of Paris, and in the southeastern city of Lyon, he added. Islamic State extremists claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Seven of the terrorists died in the killing spree.

The most recent closure of a mosque east of Paris came during an ongoing state of emergency. A total of 330 people, monitored by intelligence services over their previous involvement in radical Islamist activities, were placed under house arrest.

“This is the terrorism that threatens liberties today”, Cazeneuve said, according to Time.