Former Charlie Hebdo Editor Sparks Outrage with Islamophobic Comments

Philippe Val publicly assumes his Islamophobia. "Yes, I am Islamophobic. One can be phobic of a religion when it begins to try to exist through terror. There are teachers who have been beheaded. My friends have been murdered," he said in an interview given in mid-May to the magazine Figaro. Remarks condemned by the Muslim authorities in France.

"I am deeply shocked and dismayed by Philippe Val’s statements in Le Figaro. Openly declaring one’s Islamophobia, an irrational hatred of an entire religion, is not only irresponsible but also dangerous. Philippe Val seems to confuse the criminal acts of a minority of extremists with the beliefs of millions of peaceful Muslims around the world," Chems-Eddine Hafiz, the rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, was outraged on social media, announcing on Sunday his intention to file a complaint for these "unacceptable" remarks that "must be sanctioned to protect our society against such discourse".

The Fédération des Musulmans de France also condemns these "inadmissible, Islamophobic and stigmatizing remarks", explaining that "these comments, which unjustly stigmatize an entire community, are not only dangerous but also in contradiction with the values of respect, tolerance and living together". And to add: "Islamophobia should have no place in our society and must be fought as vigorously as any other form of racism and discrimination. We recall that the vast majority of Muslims live their faith in a peaceful and respectful manner of the laws of the Republic." The federation is also considering the possibility of filing a complaint against Philippe Val.

For its part, the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) issued a statement on Tuesday to firmly condemn Philippe Val’s remarks. "To wrap oneself in the fact that ’Islamophobia’ would be used by some to limit the freedom to criticize Islam is nonsense that ignores the history of the word and its widely accepted use in the fight against anti-Muslim racism [...] Those who want to reduce the term ’Islamophobia’ to criticism or fear of Islam never condemn hatred of the Muslim. In doing so, they incite anti-Muslim hatred while having a totem of immunity."