Turkish-French Muslim groups slammed president Emmanuel Macron’s “republican values” charter for smearing Islam with marginal crimes by making attributions in the controversial charter. Three French Muslim groups called on Macron’s government on Tuesday to remove marginal crimes and vague expressions in the charter like political Islam and republican values which would turn Muslims into targets.
5 out of 9 French-Muslim federations within The French Council of Muslim Worship (CFCM) has bowed to the government pressure and signed the so-called republican values charter while remaining groups continue to stress the ‘demonizing’ content of the charter. CCMTF and CIMG, two largest Turkish-French organizations released a statement on Tuesday saying Macron’s government smear Islam by making attributions to marginal crimes as if they are regularly practiced or widely committed. “By using the term ‘rejection of misogyny’ the charter creates a perception that Islam is misogynist and signatories of the charter are forced to accept that,” said the statement. The controversial charter calls on Muslims to denounce violence against those whom convert from Islam. Muslims also reject that statement as Islam forbids violence all together and no Muslim community targets converts.
The two Turkish-French groups also criticized the term ‘French Islam’ saying Islam can’t be limited to a nation or group. Such term would aim to alter the tenets of Islam, the statement reiterated.
The CCMTF and CIMG’s reaction also pointed out the vague terms in the charter which would target innocent Muslims in the country. Macron’s infamous charter makes several attributions to the term ‘political Islam.’ The statement says it is not clear what political Islam means and it could be defined to please the political leadership and turn dangerous while far-right had been on dangerously rise in France. The statement has also pointed out that there could be no political Islam as there is no political Christianity or political Judaism. CCMTF and CIMG has offered instead ‘radicals that use religion against constitutional order.’
A similar concern has also been mentioned about the term ‘republican values.’ The statement pointed out that the French constitution makes no mention of such values and there is no definition of it.
The 5 signatory federations of the controversial charter are mostly representatives of the Arab and African Muslims. Activists claim that those federations have not explained the details of the charter to their respective congregations and the charter lacks support from their own communities despite being signed.
Meanwhile, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has made such a dangerous statement. He said that the republican values are above Allah, the Muslim God. Darmanin also said those who do not sign the charter will be subjected to extreme monitoring that will end up in sanctions and shutting down mosques and other cultural institutions.
The statement said CCMTF and CIMG supports creating a National Imam Council in principle but points out that issues have not throughly consulted and the charter has been hastily signed.
Diaspora Daily 