PARIS – France’s National Assembly passed a bill Tuesday to strengthen government oversight of mosques and religious schools and crack down on other practices – from online hate speech to forced marriage – that President Emmanuel Macron says is rooted in Islamic separatism.
The proposed legislation was passed by the National Assembly, or lower house of Parliament, with a vote of 347-151, obtaining the support of legislators in Macron’s ranks, as well as other center parties. Now it goes to the Senate.
Macron and his supporters in Parliament drafted the bill as a response to the spread of “Islamic separatism”, which the president describes as an ideology that aims to build a parallel society in France where religious rules override civil laws. This ideology, says the Macron government, undermines the values of the French Republic – freedom, equality and fraternity – as well as secularism, France’s strict separation between religion and state.
The proposed legislation requires religious associations and mosques to declare foreign funding of more than € 10,000 (US $ 12,000) and sign a pledge to respect France’s Republican values to receive state subsidies. The bill would also make it easier for the government to close mosques, associations and schools that criticize Republican values.
The proposed legislation would make it a criminal offense for anyone, in the name of ideology or religious extremism, to pressure public officials and public service providers to deviate from France’s secular values. According to its provisions, a man who refuses to allow a doctor to examine his wife can face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to € 75,000.