PARIS,
June 20, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – The National Federation of French
Muslims (FNMF), which the media described as “Rabat Friends”,
swept the election of the European country's umbrella body.
The
FNMF's ticket won 19 out of the French Council for the Muslim Faith
(CFCM)'s 65 seats up for grabs, three seats more than it had in the
outgoing board, the election supervisory commission has announced.
The
Grand Mosque of Paris slate secured 10 seats, four seats more than in
the 2003 election, while the Union of French Islamic Organizations
(UOIF) lost three seats from the thirteen it captured two years ago.
The
Turkish Muslims League got one seat, while independents controlled
five more.
The
French Interior Ministry appoints the remaining CFCM members.
Turnout
has reached 85 percent with some 5,000 eligible voters casting their
ballots out of a total of 5,232 representatives of mosques in France,
which estimated at 1221.
France
is home to some six to seven Muslims, the largest Muslim minority in
Europe.
Presidency
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The turnout reached 85 percent of eligible voters.
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The
new councilors will elect within days the CFCM’s executive office,
which in turn will choose a president next Sunday, June 26.
Paris
Mosque Rector and outgoing CFCM president Dalil Boubakeur is expected
to be reelected to lead the French Muslims' main representative
umbrella group.
During
the election campaign, Boubakeur was indirectly backed by the media,
which described him as the representative of the liberal Muslim voice
in France.
Analysts
expect Boubakeur to be reelected irrespective of the election results
given that he is favored by the French government and his candidacy
has not been challenged by any of the leading Islamic bodies in
France.
Observers
said that the UOIF might, however, withdraw its backing to Boubakeur
in view of the election results and if its condition to assume key
posts in the CFCM are not met.
On
the vote counting day, the union and the FNMF traded forgery
accusations with both sides seeking independents be added to their
slates.
Casting
his vote on Sunday, Boubakeur urged French Muslims to close ranks and
settle their differences should they want a powerful and effective
role for the CFCM.
The
French government sponsored the launch of the CFCM in 2003 to create
national and regional leaderships able to deal with state officials
about problems Islam faces in the western European country.
According
to its statute, the CFCM deals with the religious aspects of Muslim
life in France, such as the construction of mosques, training of imams
and nomination of chaplains for hospitals, prisons and the military.
