Daw Meskine is the imam of the Clichy-Sous-Bois mosque and the secretary general of the French Council of Imams.
Meskine has been treated as an important figure in Franco-Islamic relations and interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy who has apparently consulted him in the past.
On June 19, 2006 it was announced Imam Meskine and his son were arrested for laundering money linked to a terrorist organization. Many members of the French Islamic community saw the arrest as a provocation meant to interfere with state funding to the al-Najah Muslim High school. Some have linked the event to his criticism of the policies of Nicolas Sarkozy.[1]
17 other French citizens have been arrested in the operation.