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Rabat – French President Emmanuel Macron claimed earlier this week that his country respects religious freedom and is committed to preserving the fundamental rights of its Muslim citizens and residents, yet the latest controversial statement by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau confirms reports of the alarming normalization of anti-Islam sentiments and attitudes in France.
Retailleau made his new and unsurprisingly controversial remarks while appearing on Thursday on “Les Grandes Gueules,” a popular talk show on RMC.
He acknowledged his desire to see a ban on the wearing of the hijab at universities amid protests and frustration over France’s restrictions on religious freedom, including the ban of the wearing of the Muslim veil in sports and schools.
“I want that, because I clearly see that there is a form of Islamism that has nothing to do with the traditional Muslim faith. There is an Islamism that is trying to plant its flag, its own values, which in my view include the subjugation of women to men, and we must be wary of it,” he said.
The French minister claimed that he does not want Muslims to feel targeted.
“On the contrary, I think we need to explain this with great clarity and pedagogy, saying that political Islamism actually distorts the faith of these Muslim believers. It’s in our interest to make the distinctions,” Retailleau said.
He made the same remarks in January, when he told the news website Le Parisien about his support for banning hijab at schools and universities.
Retailleau’s latest remarks come as Macron vowed a commitment to guarantee freedom of conscience and religious practice for all its citizens and residents.
Macron met with Muslim representatives earlier this week in the aftermath of the heinous Islamophobic attack on a Malian man inside the mosque.
The assailant, Olivier A., killed Aboubakr Cisse inside a mosque when the Muslim man was performing the morning prayer.
Muslim worshippers found Cisse’s body inside the mosque around 11:30 a.m., sparking frustration and panic.
The assailant, who filmed the heinous murder and promised to kill more Muslims, was arrested in Italy after he turned himself in to police.
This comes amid ongoing frustration from the Muslim community, which faces Islamophobic attacks as well as remarks from officials normalizing Islamophobia.
Wearing the hijab has long struck a nerve among politicians, including MPs who echoed and displayed anti-Muslim sentiments during public debates or parliamentary sessions.
Just recently, a Muslim woman filed a complaint in France after being sprayed with an unidentified liquid with her one-year-old baby. The same perpetrator tore off her hijab.
