The French will vote on Sunday in the second round of the presidential elections, which will decide whether incumbent President Emmanuel Macron will retain his post or be ousted by the far-right Marine Le Pen, in a scene reminiscent of the presidencies of 2017.
Ryan Frischi, a researcher with CAGE, an independent organization against injustice and oppression, believes that whoever wins these elections, there is an inevitable consequence that Islamophobia and the persecution of Muslims will intensify in France.
In an article for Middle East Eye, Frischi says that France's Muslims, many of whom supported the left-wing candidate who was defeated in the first round of the elections, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, are now worried about what the future holds for them, and it is likely that these elections will Permanent repercussions on Muslims in France.
He pointed out that Macron and Le Pen, despite the many points of difference between them, the common denominator between them was clearly talking about Islam and "the problem of Muslims."
He said that both candidates regard Islam and its apparent practices as a "civilizational threat" to France. Macron's interior minister, Gerald Darmanin, previously described Le Pen's approach to Islam as "soft".
After his election in 2017, Macron wasted no time as he set out to target and monitor the French Muslim minority, exert the maximum pressure on Muslim civil society members to the point that their daily work is unbearably difficult, and tighten the state's grip on religious institutions and practices. .
The writer said that Macron's government, after his victory in the presidency, dissolved many service institutions that were established and used by the French Muslim community overnight by a ministerial decree. worth 46 million euros ($50 million) from the already economically disadvantaged Muslim minority.
The writer concluded that France deliberately conceals policies that target the persecution of Muslims, and he expects that Macron, if re-elected, will continue and expand his policies targeting the Muslim minority, and Le Pen is expected to do the same if she comes to power.