French Muslims: We are not separatists and we refuse to put us in electoral battles

Hisham Abu Maryam - Paris

French President Emmanuel Macron announced a series of measures to combat all forms of "Islamic extremism" using the controversial expression of "separatist Islam", which left widespread reactions among French Muslims.

A number of representatives of the Islamic community considered that some of these measures were precedents to their proposal to protect their children from all forms of extremism, and they expressed their refusal to be pushed back into political auctions between parties as the municipal elections due next month approach.

Regarding the most prominent of these measures announced by Emmanuel Macron two days ago, he stopped the recruitment of imams and teachers of the Arabic language from a number of Islamic countries, and stopped all forms of interference by these countries in building or running Islamic mosques and schools, and he stressed that his country would not allow the spread of political Islam.

Separation
Anwar Kabbish, the former head of the Council of the Islamic Religion, and the head of the Islamic organization "The Assembly of French Muslims", expressed his reservations about the term "separation", stressing that some aspects of separation from society and the values ​​of the French Republic are not due to the strictness in the manifestations of religiosity, but sometimes because of economic factors Social, including poverty, marginalization, exclusion and racism.

Anwar Kabbish also stated in a statement to Al-Jazeera Net that millions of Muslims should not be stigmatized as "separatists", stressing that "separatism" is a marginal phenomenon that affects a small group of French Muslims, who have a narrow reading of Islam, while the vast majority of them are integrated and respect the values ​​of the French Republic Especially the principle of secularism.

Kabbish pointed out that most of the measures announced by President Macron had been proposed in his turn when he was president of the French Council for the Islamic Religion, among them stopping the recruitment of imams from a number of Islamic countries, because these imams most of them do not master the French language, and do not understand much in the values ​​of the French Republic, Consequently, they cannot communicate and direct a religious discourse commensurate with the nature of the French secular system, as described.

Kabbash clarified that he also has no objection to stopping the recruitment of foreign teachers to teach Arabic, because most of them do not master the French language and therefore, it is preferable to be taught as a living language in French schools, like the rest of the other living languages ​​of all French and not only for the children of Islamic communities.

reality
It is noteworthy that French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner confirmed on Wednesday in a press statement that France has informed both Morocco, Algeria and Turkey of the decision to reduce the number of imams from these countries as of this year, and that it will not receive any foreign imam by 2024, so that my representatives Islamic religion in France, the formation of French imams during the next four years.

In turn, Ahmed Jaballah, the former president of the Federation of Islamic Organizations in France,
(It includes about 300 Islamic societies), expressed his surprise at the French president's use of the term "Islamic separation", stressing that the reality on the ground refutes these allegations, because the Muslims of France are integrated and contribute positively to their society, and they occupy important positions and functions in all fields and disciplines.

Jaballah said in a statement to Al-Jazeera Net that, if there is isolationism because of religion, it is an anomalous and marginal group. As for most cases of separation, they have economic and social roots, because of the discrimination and racism that this group of Muslims live in.

A Rajiv
The former president of the Federation of Islamic Organizations in France pointed out that President Macron's talk about fighting political Islam is incomprehensible, because it simply does not exist, and merely Arrajev, considering that Muslims are urged not to secede but when they want to play a positive role in society and storm All fields, including politics, are stigmatized by the spread of political Islam.

Jaballah pointed out that the Muslims of France are not the first time that they are exposed to this type of rhetoric that relies on intimidation and amplification of social and economic phenomena to be given a religious character for political and electoral goals.

Electoral phenomenon
It is noteworthy that France is on the verge of important municipal elections next month, and the ruling Macron party may suffer a resounding defeat, according to opinion polls, after its low popularity due to a number of liberal government reforms that have met with widespread popular rejection, especially the reform of the pension system.

In the same context, Bashir Al-Ubaidi, an academic and lecturer in the dialogue of cultures, considered that the French municipal elections campaign has opened the door to the auctions that French politicians have been taking, in order to win the largest number of votes.

In a statement to Al-Jazeera Net, Al-Ubaidi stressed that French and European public opinion has been moving towards the ideas of the extreme right for several years. The policy speech invests in a traditional axis that is easy to target and safe from reactions.

He added that from this section, "I do not consider a new Macron speech" and it does not carry any addition except the further division of the French, as it is known that democracies - the spokesman explains - governed through intimidation, intimidation and mobilization of people towards the positions of most of them to cover up other situations that the political class is unable to address People have acted on it by making up such fabricated cases, according to his description.