Sheikh Al-Alawi himself travelled to France in 1926, and led the first communal prayer to inaugurate the newly built Paris Mosque in the presence of the French president.
ʃˈeɪk ˈælɐlˈɑːwi hɪmsˈɛlf tɹˈævəld tə fɹˈæns ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti sˈɪks, ænd lˈɛd ðə fˈɜːst kəmjˈuːnəl pɹˈɛɹ tʊ ɪnˈɔːɡjʊɹˌeɪt ðə nˈuːli bˈɪlt pˈæɹɪs mˈɑːsk ɪnðə pɹˈɛzəns ʌvðə fɹˈɛntʃ pɹˈɛzɪdənt.