National debate on French identity marginalizes French Muslims

A French debate on defining the values constituting national identity is sparking controversy amid warnings that the discussions are particularly targeting the Muslim presence. France is home to nearly seven million Muslims, the biggest Muslim minority in Europe. In early November, the French government started a three-month debate on French national identity. Some claim that…

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    Mohammed Moussaoui, the New CFCM President

    Mohammed Moussaoui, a 44 year-old former math professor, was the only candidate for the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) elections and won quite expectedly. He replaces the former president, Dalil Boubakeur, rector of the Grande Mosqu_e de Paris. Moussaoui is the vice-president of the French Muslim Assembly (RMF) and is a proponent of…

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      Muslim Representatives ask Candidates to Leave Islam Out of the Campaign

      Participating for the first time in debates linked to the presidential campaign, the representatives of French Muslims regrouped under the French Council for the Muslim Religion (CFCM) are worried. They would like to meet the candidates for the presidential election to express their worries about the politicized way in which the debate over French Islam…

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      Integrating Islam: Political and Religious Challenges in Contemporary France

      Many in France view the growing role of Muslims in their society with a jaundiced eye, as do others elsewhere, suspecting that new Muslim political and religious networks are a threat to European rule of law and the French way of life. Not surprisingly, however, the reality of the situation is far too complicated to…

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        Will Islam À La Française Take Hold? Paris’ Grand Mosque Is At Center Of Effort To Build A Moderate French Islam

        By Daniel Strieff PARIS – Mustapha Tougui says he has the Quran in his blood. The Moroccan-born, Saudi-educated lecturer at the Muslim theological institute at the Paris Grand Mosque uses earthy language as he tries to preserve what he calls his students’ spiritual hygiene. His enthusiasm is infectious. “If you eat always your mother’s cooking,…

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