While the majority of French Muslims traditionally have voted for leftist parties, at a recent UOIF conference there was talk of abstention.
The main candidates–save for Marine Le Pen–met the leaders of the French Council of the Muslim Faith before the election’s first round, and the “Muslim vote” could have additional significance in the upcoming election. Despite this, many Muslims at the conference reported feeling disappointed with Hollande’s tenure as president, and were hesitant to cast their vote in the first round.
Amar Lasfar, president of the UOIF, advised French Muslims “not to reduce a candidate to what they say about Islam,” which many took as an endorsement of François Fillon of Les Républicains. “Vote!” he urged during a speech, “Save France from the threat of the far right.”
“Abstention, it’s the wrong choice: it means nothing,” concluded Nabil Ennasri, president of the Collective of French Muslims.
Sources
http://www.lemonde.fr/election-presidentielle-2017/article/2017/04/16/presidentielle-les-musulmans-de-france-tentes-par-un-vote-sanction-contre-le-ps_5112075_4854003.html
