FRANCE SEEKS NEW CHAPTER IN MUSLIM RELATIONS
France’s government sought Monday to open a new chapter in relations with the country’s Muslims following a summer scarred by militant attacks and a ban on burkinis that ratcheted up communal tensions.
Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve met with Senior Muslim representatives and agreed that efforts to foster good relations will include the creation of an Islamic foundation, funded solely with money from within France.
But Prime Minister Manuel Valls, speaking later Monday, urged a fight to defeat what he termed ‘Islamist totalitarianism’ which aimed at “fracturing democracies, stifling individual liberties and installing a new social order in which men dominate women. ”Around 30 towns have banned the burkini from their beaches; with some mayors linking the bans to the July 14 militant lorry attack in Nice that killed 86 and the murder of a Catholic priest near Rouen by Islamic State sympathisers.
The controversy over the burkini, the full-body Islamic swimming garment, looks set to continue after several mayors said they would ignore a decision Friday by the country’s top administrative court to suspend the ban in one Riviera town.
Anouar Kbibech, the leader of the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM), said he hoped Monday’s talks were the start of a new chapter.
“This positive development will put an end to the repulsive saga of the burkini,” he said. Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said the aim of the discussions was to forge “an Islam anchored in the values of the French Republic”. Cazeneuve stressed however that all religions had to respect France’s laws on the strict separation of religion and state.
The talks will lead to the creation of a “Foundation for Islam in France”, which will aim to raise funds in France rather than abroad to ensure the transparent sourcing of funds.
But the choice of 77-year-old former Defence Minister Jean-Pierre Chevenement to head the foundation has sparked controversy, with many observers asking why a Muslim was not given the role.