Results found: 1

Search results

Search:
in the keywords: FRENCH COUNCIL OF THE MOSLEM FAITH (CFCM)

Sort By:

Limit search:

THE CREATION OF 'REPUBLICAN' ISLAM IN FRANCE - THE FRENCH COUNCIL OF THE MOSLEM FAITH (CFCM)

100%

Kielan-Glinska I.

Studia Historyczne

2006

vol. 49

issue 1(193)

65-78

Because of its colonial past, France has become the home of millions of immigrants from its former dependencies. As the influx of migrants reached new heights in the 1980s, the French authorities had to admit that integration in a multicultural society was a problem that would not go away. The unease turned into barely disused distrust of all immigrants from predominantly Moslem countries in the aftermath of the terrorist attack of 11 September 2001. At present the life of the four-million strong Moslem community in France is characterized on the one hand by a sense of being exposed to discrimination and, on the other hand, by increased activity of various Islamic organizations and a tendency to close ranks. The view that the French model of integration is a failure is confirmed by the report of the 'Cour des Comptes' (the Auditors' Court) published in November 2004. The report states bluntly that the government policies lacked consistency and failed to produce the intended results, To counteract the negative trends Nicolas Sarkosi has thrown all his weight behind the idea of positive discrimination, ie. helping the Moslems to build their own institutional representation. The new policy has produced an appointment of a Moslem prefect, the removal of administrative obstacles to the building of mosques, an initiative aimed at educating imams locally, in France, rather than importing them from the Islamic countries. The aim of the positive discrimination is to pave the way for the development of a French Islam, respectful of the republican rules and financed by the French state. The first step was the creation in December 2002 of the French Council of the Moslem Faith (Conseil français du culte musulman, CFCM) representing all the major Moslem organizations in France and headed by the Mufti of the Grand Mosque in Paris. However, bringing such a diverse lot under one roof has not produced much unity. Already in 2003 it became clear that the CFCM was not likely to become a handy instrument for tightening control over the whole of the Moslem community and stifling the growth of any radical tendencies, as the French authorities had expected. The involvement of the republican government in the affairs of a religious institution to the point of promoting religion raised the heckles of the supporters of the traditional separation of state and religion, established by the law of 1905. The critics of N. Sarkozi argue that his policy break with the republican tradition and undermine the foundations of the secular state. At the same time, however, the French political class recognizes the need of improving the socio-economic position of the Moslem fellow-citizens and the necessity of isolating the fundamentalists.

Refine search results

1 Studia Historyczne

1 Kielan-Glinska I.

1 2006

Search results

THE CREATION OF 'REPUBLICAN' ISLAM IN FRANCE - THE FRENCH COUNCIL OF THE MOSLEM FAITH (CFCM)