With just 2,600 places of worship for some five million Muslims, France has a shortage of mosques – and securing permits and financing for new religious sites is notoriously difficult. That leaves many worshippers struggling to find a place to pray, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.
“Quite simply, we need space,” says Abdellah, one of dozens of people lining up to enter the Javel mosque in south-west Paris for Friday prayers.
