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French
Muslims Yet To Choose Their ‘Favorite Candidate’
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| Jacques Chirac and
Lionel Jospin |
Report
by IOL France Correspondent, Aalya Ci Ahmed
PARIS,
Feb. 26 (IslamOnline) – French Muslims have yet to decide on their favorite
presidential candidate in the coming April elections. They still have to choose
between the current President, Jacques Chirac, Prime Minister, Lionel Jospin,
and former Interior Minister, Jean-Pierre Chevenement.
Head
of French Muslims Federal Organization, Dr. Mohammed El-Bashary, told
IslamOnline Tuesday that “some Muslims here see Leftist Parties and their
candidate Jospin closer to Muslims interests. They (Leftists) consider
Muslims’ internal rights, such s citizenship, political and social rights”.
“Greens
Party is the closest to Muslims’ causes, and it has nominated many Muslim
candidates in local and parliamentary elections. But Jospin’s Socialist Party
and the Communist Party have not, so far, practiced what they preach of
integrating French Muslims in the official political theatre,” Bashary added.
However,
a considerable slice of French Muslims support Chirac, especially those
concerned with Muslim causes, on top of which comes Palestine. Bashary asserted
that Chirac could gain the Arab’s trust through his anti-Israeli violence
stands, and keeping the Digoulian heritage of supporting people under
occupation.
Deputy
Chief of the Union of Islamic Organizations in France, Dr. Fouad El-Alawy, told
IslamOnline, “So far, we have not agreed-upon a stand toward any of he
presidential candidates. But the Union is preparing a meeting between heads of
Islamic Societies, Muslim scholars, and some candidates”.
El-Alawy
added that some Muslim causes are to be brought up during the meeting with the
purpose of touching upon where the candidates stand as far as those causes are
concerned.
El-Alawy
believes that Muslim voters may reach three millions, out of 40 million French
voters. However, no official statistics have yet determined the number of Muslim
voters.
It
is worth mentioning that French Muslims amount to five million people.
Regarding
the demands of the Muslim community in France, El-Alawy mentioned the
establishment of mosques, respecting Muslim religious rituals and occasions, and
the issue of veil.
He
stressed the fact that Muslim voters should focus on their problems “at
home”, not on external causes, such as the Middle East conflict.
El-Alawy
believes that “the five-year period of cohabitation” in France has created
“favorable atmosphere” for Muslims there.
Cohabitation
means political power sharing between a socialist government, led by Jospin, and
a right-wing president, as well as a parliamentary majority limiting the
movement of both (Jospin and Chirac).
The
majority of 19 presidential candidates are tying to gain the support of the
strong Muslim community. Foremost of whom is Chevenement who visited Paris
Mosque in the framework of his campaign.
Chevenement,
married to a Jewish lady of Egyptian origins, is known o be concerned with
Muslims conditions in France. He is hoping to win the support of most of them.
Muslims
in France acknowledge his role, when he was Interior Minister, in establishing
the French Council for the Islamic Religion.
The
French Presidential elections, to be held on April 21 and a likely run off to be
held on May 5, will witness the reduction of the presidential term to five years
instead of seven. 
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