French Muslim councils file complaint over poll accused of fueling anti-Muslim hatred

ISTANBUL

Several Muslim religious councils in France have filed a legal complaint over an Ifop survey they say distorts the religious practices of French Muslims and fuels a climate of growing anti-Muslim hostility.

The complaint targets a poll commissioned by the little-known magazine Ecran de veille and released on Nov. 18, which claims to show a rising “re-Islamisation” among Muslims in France, particularly among younger people.

The survey highlights what it calls more “radical” behaviour among the youth — including prayer frequency, Ramadan observance and wearing the veil — findings the councils say are framed in a way that reinforces prejudice.

In a joint statement on Sunday, the departmental councils of Muslim worship in Loiret, Aube and Bouches-du-Rhone said the survey “violates the principle of objectivity” required under France’s 1977 law on opinion polling, BFM TV reported.

They argued the poll was based on “leading questions” and selectively highlighted minority responses “for polemical purposes.”

Lawyers Raphael Kempf and Romain Ruiz, representing the councils, described Ecran de veille as a “nebulous and reactionary organisation,” saying the study “spreads the poison of hatred in the public sphere” at a time when official data shows a sharp increase in anti-Muslim incidents.

Figures from the Interior Ministry indicate anti-Muslim acts rose by 75% compared with 2024, they noted.

The councils said the survey reinforced harmful conflations and amplified narratives promoted by far-right media outlets.

“This poll, picked up by several far-right media outlets, is an insult to Muslims in France and an affront to the values of equality and fraternity promoted by our Republic,” the complaint said.

The publication has drawn wide debate as France faces heightened tensions around religious identity and political use of Islam. While the poll has circulated among far-right figures as evidence of a supposed “threat,” Muslim organisations say it reflects a longstanding pattern of portraying French Muslims as a problem for the Republic.

The case will now be examined by prosecutors as part of a preliminary investigation.