On Tuesday, the French Parliament voted in favour of passing the “Reinforcing Republican Principles” Bill, a controversial proposed law that aims to target religious radicalism and separatism in the country. It was passed after a long, heated discussion between the Members of Parliament, with around 1,700 amendments being proposed to the bill. However, after accepting 313 amendments, it secured a significant majority, with 347 Members of Parliament voting in favour of the bill, 151 voting against it, and 65 abstaining from the vote. Now, it faces the scrutiny of the country’s senators, who will decide the fate of the bill on March 30.
In December, Macron had presented a draft of the law to crack down on “religious separatism” in the country, with no direct mention of Islam or Muslims in the text of the law. However, the fact that it was introduced before the Parliament just a few days following a speech by Macron wherein he vowed to act against Islamic separatism, adding that he believed Islam to be a “religion in crisis”, indicated that it was specifically introduced to target radicalism amongst Muslims in France.
The law aims to introduce a wide range of mechanisms to combat religious radicalism in the country. The proposal encourages religious institutions to officially declare themselves as places of worship. This is believed to help government authorities identify and regulate the institutions. Moreover, while the law does not explicitly forbid foreign funding, it mandates institutions to declare any donations larger than € 10,000. The law also grants local authorities the power to shut down religious institutions “in which the remarks that are made, the ideas or theories that are disseminated or the activities that take place: cause discrimination, hatred or violence.”
Apart from regulating religious institutions and their funding, the law also looks to change social practices that are primarily prevalent in France’s Muslim community. For example, in order to bring an end to “clandestine” educational institutions that are known to spread religious extremism, the law makes it mandatory for children to enrol in schools from age three. Additionally, the new law intends to bring an end to forced marriages by introducing compulsory interviews with public officials, who can forbid the marriage if there is any indication of coercion. It criminalises the provision of “virginity certificates” for women and allows state officials to revoke residency permits of individuals participating in the practice of polygamy.
Furthermore, the draft law takes up the herculean task of bringing an end to hate speech on digital platforms. Consequently, it imposes a fine of up to € 45,000 and a prison sentence of three years for the act of “disseminating information about someone’s private, family or professional life that makes them identifiable with the aim of endangering their lives.”
Previously, the law has sparked a major rift between Macron and several Islamic countries, with protestors taking to the streets demanding a boycott of French products and burning his pictures. The most notable reaction had been from Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who criticised Macron’s recent crusade against “Islamic separatism,” and claimed that the leader’s comments proved that he needed “treatment” and “mental checks.”
Further, Pakistan, its closest ally, also passed a Parliamentary resolution seeking to recall its envoy to France, despite not having one at all. In Dhaka, Bangladesh, more than 40,000 demonstrators took to the streets, calling for the boycott of French goods. Some protestors even burnt an effigy of Macron and called for him to be punished. Further, Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said, “As a matter of principle, we strongly condemn any inflammatory rhetoric and provocative acts that seek to defame the religion of Islam.” Shi’ite power Iran also summoned Paris’ envoy to lodge a protest against Macron’s moves and statements, while several Kuwaiti, Qatari, and Jordanian retailers removed French products from their shelves. Hence, after the passage of the law, a similar backlash can be expected from civilians and political leaders from Islamic countries across the world.
This bill has also raised concern about its ability to negatively impact the country’s 5.7 million-strong Muslim population. Consequently, an open letter was published by 100 imams, 50 Islamic Sciences teachers, and 50 presidents of Islamic associations in France on February 10, calling the law “unacceptable”.