France says draft law against extremism not aimed at Islam

France’s foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said during a visit to Doha, Qatar yesterday that his country’s policies against extremism had been misrepresented and were not Islamophobic despite facing fierce criticism. Paris has faced criticism for draft legislation presented as clamping down on Islamist radicalism that tightens rules on religious-based education and polygamy following a […]

France’s foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said during a visit to Doha, Qatar yesterday that his country’s policies against extremism had been misrepresented and were not Islamophobic despite facing fierce criticism.

Paris has faced criticism for draft legislation presented as clamping down on Islamist radicalism that tightens rules on religious-based education and polygamy following a spate of attacks blamed on extremists.

Drian said that following the attacks, “our positions and statements (on combatting extremism) were largely distorted and misrepresented as part of a campaign against our country”.

“(Our position) might have been misunderstood by believers who might have felt their beliefs were being disrespected,” Le Drian, in Doha for a one-day official visit, said at a media briefing.

“We have the utmost respect for Islam.”

Tensions flared between France and Muslim countries over remarks by President Emmanuel Macron in October defending cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, forbidden by Islam, and calling Islam “in crisis”.

While Qatar did not directly criticise France, some prominent Qatari retailers have instituted boycotts of French products in response to the comments.

Qatar’s foreign minister, who spoke alongside Le Drian, said that “violent extremism is not connected or linked with any religion”.

“We must stand firmly against Islamophobic speech just as the world stands against all forms of racist rhetoric,” said Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.

The French government on Wednesday defended draft legislation clamping down on Islamist radicalism as a “law of freedom” after a torrent of criticism from Muslim countries and expressions of concern from the US.

“This bill is not a text aimed against religions or against the Muslim religion in particular,” Prime Minister Jean Castex told reporters Wednesday after the cabinet approved a text to present to parliament. (AFP)