French media have leaked details from a report on Islamic extremism within the French public service, claiming that many in the public sector are concerned about Islamist infiltration.
The new report, which has been compiled by MPs Éric Diard of the conservative Republicans and Éric Poulliat of President Emmanuel Macron’s La République En Marche! (LREM/Republic on the Move), questioned senior officials, researchers, and workers such as police and firefighters about Islamic radicalisation.
According to leaked information from the report given to French news magazine Le Point, many of those interviewed by the MPs expressed concern over the issue, with one of the most poignant stories coming from a trade unionist from the RATP, the company in charge of the public transportation system in Paris. The trade unionist claimed that “premises are forbidden to women in terminals” and added that “practising Muslims are targeting non-practising female believers”.
Police also said that they had difficulty dealing with radicalised officers after they were discovered, citing a lack of legislation to help them dismiss those found to be radicalised.
Last year, it was revealed that a police officer in charge of the security for the staff of the satirical Charlie Hebdo magazine may have become radicalised after viewing radical Islamist material.
In January 2015, the offices of Charlie Hebdo were attacked by radical Islamic terrorists who killed 12 people, the majority of the victims being staff at the magazine.
In 2017, it was also revealed that despite being on the terror watch list, known in France as the S-File, another individual was able to become a police officer.
Nicolas Lerner, the head of the General Directorate for Internal Security DGSI, France’s domestic intelligence agency, also warned that religious spaces are no longer the only sources of radicalisation and added that educational environments “requires a certain vigilance” in combatting radicalisation.