French bid to uncover terrorism recruiters lurking in sport clubs
▶ Bodybuilders, footballers and martial arts fans identified as prime targets for the forces of radicalisation
Sport clubs in France are training their staff to detect radicalisation on the playing fields, because most of those responsible for terrorist attacks in the country played organised sport.
At a training project in the headquarters of the Ile de France sports committee in Gentilly, a south Paris suburb, the regional vice president Patrick Karam urged participants to be vigilant and tough in the face of radicalisation.
There, eight club officers from several sports had training that included a real-life case from their instructor.
“Leo, a young footballer, has changed recently,” he says. “He is late to training because he says he has to go to the mosque to pray beforehand and he refuses to shake hands with women. What do we do?”
French government figures show that of the 8.7 million registered members of sports clubs in France, about 829 people had been flagged as radicalised by November – 147 of them in the Ile de France.
The proportion might be small but sport clubs, led by martial arts, football and bodybuilding, are the No 1 places of radicalisation in France, the government said. Places of worship were No 2.
In Lagny-sur-Marne,another suburb of Paris, the local government last month banned two coaches suspected of radicalisation.
In Paris, a former junior judo star was thrown off a coaching course because “he refused to salute the mat, saying that he could only bow his head before the Prophet and that he did not wish to speak to women”, a club official said.
The home-grown terrorists who have carried out attacks in France have frequented sports clubs and several were linked to each other through them, says Mederic Chapitaux, one of the speakers at Gentilly.
“We are not asking you to be informers but to play your role as educators and to protect these youngsters,” says Mr Karam, assuring the club representatives of “absolute confidentiality” to protect them from the risk of retaliation.
These are risks that “Corinne”, who was taking part in the programme, knows well. Her son “was beaten up one night by a gang” who did not want the sports association she runs on their turf in the eastern suburbs of Paris.
Corinne is angry with the mayor who closed the sports hall. “The unemployed young people have been trapped by drug trafficking or Muslim fundamentalists,” she says. “Several went to Iraq or Syria. Two are in prison for planning a terrorist attack.”
In Leo’s case, talks with his brother and the support of social services allowed the young footballer to resolve family problems that had pushed him to breaking point.
“We kept the channel with him open, which is essential,” says the instructor, from the National Committee of Liaison and Prevention.
The instructor offered another case study. “Dany and Robin, 24-year-old twins who served time in jail for drug trafficking and became very religious, divide their time between the mosque and sport.
“They have married and envisage going with their wives to Egypt to learn Arabic. They hang out with two youngsters from your boxing club.”
Given that these two men might be going to Iraq or Syria and the risk of “infection” of the two young men, most participants choose to report the case to the authorities.
“You must not hesitate. The recruiters move very fast,” the instructor says.
After the session, participants say they feel better about their situation. Corinne says she “feels less isolated” and sees that there is support.
Christine, who helps to run a football club in Paris, says: “This gives us guidelines and tools ... just in case.”
Home-grown terrorists have frequented sports clubs, and several were linked to each other through them