Bernard Godard, co-author with Sylvie Taussig of “Les Musulmans en France” (Muslims in France, Hachette 2009), is interviewed here on his perspectives on Islam in France. Godard comments that there has been an institutionalization of Islam in France in the last ten years. Before mayors rarely supported mosque construction, for instance, and this attitude has changed. Imams are now invited to public ceremonies, and local representatives are often present for the breaking of the fast during Ramadan. He believes that the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) did not directly cause these changes, but that its presence contributed to the acceptance of Islam more generally. He goes on to describe Islamic identities among young people in France, how he views Salafism and Tabligh as the two more dangerous radical groups, and describes the ongoing influence of Tariq Ramadan and Tareq Oubrou.
