The French government has introduced a bill aimed at improving its fight against radical Islamism. French Prime Minister Jean Castex emphasized that the norm was not directed against any specific religion, including Islam.
“This bill is not a text against any religion, nor specifically against the Muslim religion,” Castex said. According to him, it is directed against the “pernicious ideology” of radical Islamism and its goal is to strengthen “republican principles”.
In an interview with Le Monde, the prime minister emphasized that the measures contained in the law will apply to all political ideologies hostile to the republic, “although today it is precisely radical Islamism that we want to fight by all means“.
If approved, the law would facilitate, among other things, the dissolution of associations that question French republican values. It would also make it possible to punish those who threaten or intimidate state officials, the AFP agency reported.
The draft tightens the rules for home-schooling education and improve standards for registering mosques. According to the AP agency, there are now about 2,600 of them in France. Their financing from abroad will not be prohibited, but it will be necessary to report it if it exceeds the amount of €10,000 (262,000 korunas).
Prison sentence for issuing a certificate confirming virginity
A doctor issuing a certificate stating that the girl is a virgin would now newly face up to a year in prison, as some Muslims now demand such confirmation before a marriage can move forward. The law should also complicate forced marriages. In extreme cases, the prosecutor’s office could prohibit marriage if there was a suspicion that one of the fiancés does not agree with the marriage.
The basic principles of the law were introduced by President Emmanuel Macron in early October. At the time he said that it was necessary to create an Islam that “can be at peace with the republic”. Macron called for an end to the practice when believers in France are under the influence of imams coming from abroad.
In recent years, France has been facing terrorist attacks by radical Islamists, in which more than 250 people have died since 2015. Following the autumn attacks in Paris, its suburbs Conflans-Sainte-Honorine and Nice, the country once again is at the highest level of terrorism warning.
Title image: Newly named French Prime Minister Jean Castex waves as he enters the Prime Minister residence after the handover ceremony in Paris, Friday, July 3, 2020. French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday named Jean Castex, who coordinated France’s virus reopening strategy, as the country’s new prime minister as the country focuses on reviving an economy hard-hit by the pandemic and months of strict lockdown.(AP Photo/Michel Euler)
