Muslim Council Aims to Educate About Islam
Eager for a stronger voice and to foster a better understanding of Islam, French Muslims elected a national body aimed at bringing their community of 5 million out of the shadows.
Participants hope the French Council of the Muslim Faith will achieve better relations with mainstream France and provide a platform for talks with the government on building mosques and Muslim cemeteries.
Despite their numbers and historical ties to France, Muslims are poorly integrated, often living in crime-ridden housing projects where youths are courted by extremist groups.
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