A report compiled by members of the French Senate has detailed the spread of political Islam across France and listed 44 proposals to combat radical Islamist ideology.
The report, which was written by the Commission of Inquiry on Islamist Radicalisation and the Means to Combat It, claims that radical Islamism “is polymorphous, penetrating into all aspects of social life and tends to impose a new social standard by taking advantage of individual freedom”.
Senator Jacqueline Eustache-Brinio, a member of the centre-right Republicans, said that nearly all of France is affected by radical Islam, adding: “We cannot accept it. Now or never is the time to react.”
Obtained and reported on by French newspaper Le Figaro, the report states that in certain districts of the country an “Islamist ecosystem” has emerged that questions secular principles such as equality of men and women and the rights of homosexuals.
The commission also gave out 44 proposals to stop the spread of political Islam, including banning all imams connected to the radical Muslim Brotherhood from preaching within France and full financial transparency of religious organisations receiving money from overseas.
Islamic groups which want access to subsidies from local authorities should also “sign a charter including respect for the values of the Republic”, the report states.
The report comes just months after a classified internal document from the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) was published and showed at least 150 neighbourhoods across the country were “held” by Islamist radicals.
The DGSI was alarmed over the rise of Islamist political parties in local elections, such as the Union of French Muslim Democrats (UDMF) — which managed to score 40 per cent of the local vote in the commune of Maubeuge.
The French public has expressed negative opinions on the subject of Islamisation, with a poll released in October showing 61 per cent believed that Islam itself was incompatible with French society and its values.