France’s Macron issues ‘republican values’ ultimatum to Muslim leaders

france

French President Emmanuel Macron has asked Muslim leaders to accept a “charter of republican values” as part of a broad clampdown on radical Islam. On Wednesday he gave the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) a 15-day ultimatum to accept the charter. The CFCM has agreed to create a National Council of Imams, which will reportedly issue imams with official accreditation which could be withdrawn. It follows three suspected Islamist attacks in little more than a month. The charter will state that Islam is a religion and not a political movement, while also prohibiting “foreign interference” in Muslim groups. Mr Macron has strongly defended French secularism in the wake of the attacks, which included the beheading of a teacher who showed cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad during a class discussion last month.(BBC)…[+]