Emmanuel Macron at Les Mureaux.

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Ludovic Marin / AP / SIPA

  • The French Council of Muslim Worship (CFCM) has adopted an unprecedented charter rejecting in particular “political Islam” and foreign “interference”.

  • Emmanuel Macron hailed "a founding text in the relationship between the State and Islam in France".

  • But the application of such a charter raises many questions.

"A clear, clear and precise commitment in favor of the Republic".

Emmanuel Macron welcomed this Monday the signing of a republican "charter of principles" by the French Council of Muslim Worship (CFCM), after a meeting with its officials.

During his speech against separatism at Les Mureaux (Yvelines) in early October, the Head of State put pressure on the leaders of the CFCM in order to "build an Enlightenment Islam in our country".

Three months later, the President of the Republic evoked "a founding text in the relationship between the State and Islam in France".

But the signing of this charter remains criticized, and its application raises many questions.

What are we talking about ?

After weeks of tense meetings, CFCM leaders reached an agreement on Saturday on a "charter of principles" for Islam, as demanded by the executive.

The text, made up of ten articles, reaffirms several major general principles such as equality between men and women, the "compatibility" of the Muslim faith with the Republic, "the rejection of the instrumentalization of Islam for political ends" or again the “non-interference” of foreign states.

The signatories also undertake "not to criminalize renouncing Islam, nor to qualify it as apostasy".

"The text will make its life, be transmitted to our local authorities, to the heads of mosques, imams, and their feedback will allow us to improve it", indicated Mohamed Moussaoui, president of the CFCM.

A charter signed by all ... or almost

Mohamed Moussaoui hailed “the rediscovered unity” within the CFCM, after the shattering departure of the rector of the Great Mosque of Paris (GMP) Chems-Eddine Hafiz at the end of December, who had denounced the harmful influence of “Islamist components”.

But the body, regularly criticized for its lack of representativeness, remains in reality weighed down by internal dissensions.

Three of the nine federations that make it up, including the Faith and Practice association (ultra-rigorous Tabligh), have not signed the text.

Ibrahim Alci, of the CCMTF * federation, close to Turkey, who is also vice-president of the CFCM, told AFP that he had requested changes.

“I remain convinced that with a few more days of exchanges, we would have found a broader consensus.

But the president has his political agenda, he wants things to go quickly and has put pressure on us, ”said Abdallah Zekri, general delegate of the French Council for Muslim Worship.

"And if tomorrow, some do not want to sign, what will the politician's position be?

What will happen ?

Under the law of 1905, the State does not have to interfere in cults, ”recalls the one who is also president of the Observatory for the fight against Islamophobia.

Initiatives that could clash with the grassroots

This raises the question of the usefulness of a primarily symbolic charter.

The executive hopes to see this as a first step in the establishment of a Council of imams, responsible for certifying their training in France, and which would aim to protect mosques from “self-proclaimed” imams.

The government's objective is also to put an end, within four years, to the presence in France of the 300 foreign imams “seconded” by Turkey, Morocco and Algeria.

But here again, the initiative is far from reaching a consensus and could clash with the grassroots, as Abdallah Zekri assures us: “We are writing a text on imams, but no one has asked their opinion.

Certain imams in place for many years question this labeling process and the legitimacy of those who will come tomorrow to give them this approval ”.

An argument also taken up by the imam of the Bordeaux mosque Tareq Oubrou to AFP: “The CFCM has no hold (…) on the reality of Muslims in France;

it must remain on the logistical and organizational aspect.

The liturgy, pastoral care and ethics must remain with the religious ”.

* The Coordinating Committee of Turkish Muslims in France (CCMTF).

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  • Cfcm

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  • Emmanuel Macron

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