6 June 2024: The French government has intensified its crackdown on Muslim institutions, resulting in the closure of at least five Muslim schools since President Emmanuel Macron took office in 2017. This move has sparked significant controversy and concern among Muslim communities, who argue that it infringes on religious freedom and alienates Muslim citizens.
One of the most notable closures was the Averroes school in Lille, France’s largest Muslim private school. Last December, the school lost approximately two million euros in annual government funding for allegedly failing to adhere to secular principles outlined in France’s national education guidelines. The decision has jeopardized the future of a school that has consistently ranked among the top academic performers in the country.
Sihame Denguir, a 41-year-old mother, had enrolled her teenage children in Averroes due to its strong academic reputation, even though it required significant financial sacrifices. Denguir now pays school fees and rents an apartment in Lille for her children and their grandmother. She reportedly expressed her shock and disappointment at the funding cut, emphasizing the school’s open-minded and high-performing nature. “The high school has done so well,” she told Reuters. “It should be valued and held up as an example.”
President Macron’s administration has launched a series of measures to curb what he terms “Islamist separatism,” aiming to reduce foreign influence on Muslim institutions in France and prevent “radical Islam” from “undermining” the French Republic. This initiative follows a series of deadly attacks in recent years by both foreign and homegrown militants. Macron, facing pressure from the far-right Rassemblement National (RN), has maintained that Islam has a place in French society, denying any intention to stigmatize Muslims. However, many rights groups and Muslim organizations argue that targeting schools like Averroes restricts religious freedom and makes it difficult for Muslims to express their identity.
The controversy surrounding Averroes reflects broader concerns about the government’s approach. Four parents and three academics interviewed by Reuters warned that the crackdown might backfire, pushing away Muslims who aspire to succeed within the French educational system, including at high-performing institutions like Averroes. Thomas Misita, a father of three daughters attending Averroes, shared his sense of betrayal. “I feel 100% French, but this creates a divide,” he said.
The Averroes school’s future now hangs in the balance. Despite raising about one million euros through donations, enrollment for the next academic year has dropped from 800 to around 500 students, according to headmaster Eric Dufour. The school is legally challenging the funding cut, asserting that it has complied with all requirements and upheld French values. “We are the most inspected school in France,” Dufour noted.
Since Macron’s presidency began, at least five Muslim schools have been closed, compared to only one under his predecessors, according to a Reuters tally. The National Federation for Muslim Education (FNEM) reported that it submitted approximately 70 applications for public funding on behalf of Muslim schools during this period, with only one approval. Education Ministry data shows a stark contrast with the nine approvals under Macron’s two predecessors.
Interviews with over a dozen current and former headmasters and teachers from ten Muslim schools revealed a perception of targeted scrutiny and discrimination. American anthropologist Carol Ferrara, who studies French faith schools, observed a double standard in how secular Republican values are applied to different religious institutions. Prominent Catholic and Jewish schools, she noted, often receive more lenient treatment.
Averroes was scrutinized in 2019 for receiving an 850,000-euro grant from Qatar Charity, which was deemed legal by a 2020 education ministry inspection. However, local officials and politicians in Lille continued to campaign against the school’s state funding. A Lille administrative court upheld the funding cut in February, citing concerns over a Syrian book on the curriculum that included controversial ideas about gender separation and apostasy.
As France’s crackdown on “Islamist separatism” continues, the debate over religious freedom and integration remains deeply contentious. The impact on Muslim schools like Averroes highlights the delicate balance between national security and the rights of religious communities within a secular state.
