France takes on Islamic extremism with new bill

PARIS – The French government, determined to fight an ideology it considers “the enemy of the republic,” on Wednesday released a draft law to combat radical Islam, calling the move “the law of freedom necessary for peaceful coexistence in French society.

Existing law Attacked by Turkey and other Muslim countries, And being criticized as a “tough hand” by the US ambassador for international religious freedom, echoes President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to address the series of terrorist attacks that have killed more than 260 people in France since 2015. Three such attacks in recent monthsIncluding The beheading of a historian, Grandmother Samuel, who showed his classmates the caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, has tightened the conditions around the law.

“This bill is not anti-religious or especially anti-Muslim,” Prime Minister Jean Costex declared after the cabinet approved the draft law. “This is the reverse – this is the law of freedom, this is the law of defense, this is the law of liberation against religious fundamentalism.”

Earlier, Mr. Costex told the French daily The world “The enemy of the republic is an ideology that calls itself a radical Islam with the aim of dividing the French people from each other.”

Mr. The law will prevent online hate speech that led to Grandma’s murder; Punishing physicians for so-called “virginity certificates” for traditional religious marriages; Control home schooling for children over the age of three; Social organizations should impose strict restrictions on their finances by forcing them to sign declarations loyal to the “values ​​of the Republic”.

The words “Islamic” or “Islamist” do not appear in law, but the purpose of the government is clear: to obtain the source of the source Separate culture of extremist groups Keeping Islamic law higher than Republican law.

For its opponents, the draft law risks defeating itself. The danger of a clash between Islam, religion and Islam, a political movement, is clear. The bill can Sharpen the sense of alienation felt by some, But far from all, French Muslims make up eight percent of the population. The ghettoization of Muslim immigrants, mainly of North African descent, is a long-standing social problem among the worst projects in the suburbs of the big cities.

The bill goes through three name changes, reflecting its sensitivity, starting with life as an “anti-separatist” law and ending with a law to “strengthen Republican policies”. It will be presented to the House under the National Assembly or Parliament in January.

Its origin a Mr. The speech Macron made two months ago In it he vowed to defeat “Islamic separatism” and uphold French secularism, with a strict view that religion was a matter for the individual who had no place in politics. The speech was condemned by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a “provocation” that was rejected by many French people, who have been the victims of a series of attacks.

U.S. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownbach said he was concerned about events in France this week. Referring to the draft law, he said, “When you practice hard, the situation can get worse.”

France is unlikely to care much about this view from a representative of the outgoing Trump administration. The so-called “Muslim ban” of President Trump Except for the entry of foreigners from seven Muslim-majority countries, it was widely condemned in France and around the world.

Mr Macron faces election 18 months from now Tapping into political rights, Where, on the left, the center of gravity in French politics appears to lie. His stern line and introduction to Islam a The most competitive security bill Part of this strategic evolution.

In his October speech, Mr. Macron acknowledged that the French government had suffered “its own separatism” in failing to address the marginalization of some Muslims in France. He vowed to correct this mistake, but the follow-up is minimal.

The Prime Minister Mr. “France is building more community housing in the region to break the logic of the ghettos,” he told Costex reporters, promising that it would be a lengthy process with an uncertain end, similar to an attempt to legalize the seeds of radical Islam.