Abdallah Zekri: “We recorded 262 assaults against Muslims, France is not combating Islamophobia seriously

Holy month of Ramadan 2015 noticed the continuing repercussions of the terrorist attacks that shake France since the beginning of the year, and led to the emergence of an intellectual, media and political speech that deepened Islamophobia that was already present, which led to the apparent confusion between Islam and terrorism, and forced the Muslim community to justify what has nothing to do to it, in the words of Abdellah Zekri, a member of “the French Council for the Islamic Religion” and head of the “French Anti-Islamophobia Observatory”.

What about Islamophobia that you never stop talking about in all the events across all media as a growing phenomenon in terms of the proliferation and its serious approach, as the way that reassures Muslims? And what was your role in the Committee by virtue of your presidency of the French Anti-Islamophobia Observatory?

First, let me thank you for giving me the opportunity to confirm the continuation of the French Observatory in alarming to the seriousness of the phenomenon, which is still, as you said, not fought seriously and comprehensively. I reaffirmed and without hesitation in front of two governors and representatives from the sectors of justice and audiovisual media the contradictions of the French approach, which states on denouncing the phenomenon, but without taking adequate measures to combat it, including the failure to declare the number of attacks that are actually affecting Muslims and which reached last year more than 262 assaults, contrary to the Interior Ministry which announced that it was responsible about exposing the cases that we observed and refused to disclose the identities of the perpetrators and follow them in front of justice for fear of more dangerous racist reactions. We also drew attention to the persistent silence on the intellectual and media racist statements about a number of intellectuals such as Olbick and Zemmour, and that increase in inciting Islamophobia, and contrary to what happened when the assault on Jews, the Supreme Audiovisual Council did move to defend the Muslims who are exposed to racism by some intellectuals and politicians. We promised this time to disclose Islamophobia judicially through the provision of convictions and follow-up of all those who incite hatred against Muslims politically, ideologically and in the media.

But in contrast, Manuel Valls’ leftist government seemed determined with Muslims about the external funding that comes from the countries of origin of many Muslim immigrants. What is your comment?

French authorities are maintaining double standards towards Muslims, as it is known that most of the mosques are financed by Muslims who have no relationship with terrorism, and the Gulf countries that are accused of financing extremist groups without compelling evidence, are the same countries that are welcomed and doors are open to them for investment, like Qatar which invests in hotels and various business and in football, and becomes a country that is not accused of financing terrorism in this case. As for what is said and rumored about princes, who give donations to mosques that need money to complete the works, it is illegal and immoral when it does not threaten France. I do not understand why do the concerned authorities worry since they do not play their role in other cases, as I have said? Whatever we did, a double standard toward Muslims and immigrants remains based.

Could we say that the French authorities are wrong when they assert that Muslims are fighting for the leadership of acting and are unable to agree under the pressure of national political conflicts, religious movements and different approaches towards of the phenomenon that is called “political Islam”, and they usually refer to the Moroccan Algerian conflict in its relationship with the mosque of Paris and the Union of Islamic Organizations that is formed of the Muslim Brotherhood, as it is said in the French press, especially on the occasion of the annual meeting of the Muslims of France?

Conflict is natural from the historical and religious perspective, and all the people know that there are Algerian, Moroccan, and Turkish Mosques, and invoked this justification for interference in Muslim affairs is refuted because it contrasts with the religious and intellectual freedom, and the state cannot intervene in the way the religious affairs are conducted, as from the 1905 law, and supervision does not mean intervention, otherwise we are in front of another contradiction that reinforces the previous contradictions that are wandering the French authorities under the weight of internal and ideological backgrounds. For our part, we Muslims do not deny that there are different religious currents and sensitivities, and those who attack the French Council of the Muslim Religion, that is headed by the Dean of the Paris Mosque are brothers and Salafists of the Union of Islamic Organizations, who withdrew in 2005 when they made sure that the elections will not be in their favor.