The president (Libres!) Of the Ile-de-France region, Valérie Pécresse, proposes to "put an end to foreign funding of mosques", and to apply to places of worship the rules of funding of political parties, in a interview in the Journal du Dimanche .
"We must go further"
While President Emmanuel Macron announced Tuesday a series of measures against "foreign influences" on Islam in France, ranging from foreign imams to funding mosques, Valérie Pécresse believes that "on the funding of places of worship, it is necessary go further". "I propose to put an end to the foreign funding of mosques by applying the rule in force for political parties to places of worship: neither a foreign state nor a foreign person, unless he resides in France, has the right to fund a party, "she explains.
But that does not pose a problem for the foreign donations intended for the reconstruction of Notre-Dame of Paris, she says, because the cathedral "is a religious establishment but also a work of art. Under the renovation of the inheritance, the state and the communities are already participating in the renovation of synagogues, mosques or churches, so it is quite possible to make the distinction. " It also proposes "that anyone wishing to work in the public service take an oath to respect and ensure respect for the law of the Republic".
"The principle of secularism is central"
According to her, the "separatism" mentioned by Emmanuel Macron "is one aspect of Islamism, but not the only one. The President's diagnosis is incomplete, and therefore his remedies are largely insufficient". "Islamism is also a desire to seize power, with a strategy of entrism in the structures of social life: in associations and sports clubs, in prison, in schools and hospitals ..."
Faced with this, "the principle of secularism, which the President has swept away with a backhand, is central", says Valérie Pécresse again, recalling the charter of secularism that she has implemented in the Ile-de-France region de-France "to fight against proselytism in the associative fabric", and which conditions all funding to respect for secularism. She also criticizes the "trap" of the "concept" of Islamophobia, "because it uses the weapon of victimization to prevent any criticism". "Beware of the dangerous links between a part of the left and the Islamists", she denounces.