French Government Debunks False Claims of Ramadan Ban Amid Social Media Rumors

"Alert, Ramadan, which is supposed to take place from March 10 to April 9, will finally not take place in France [...] Gérald Darmanin, the Minister of the Interior, has just issued a statement that will ban Ramadan for this year," can be heard in a video posted on Sunday, February 11 on the social network TikTok. The government is considering "penalizing each family that observes Ramadan" and it "would be liable to a warning and a fine of three hundred and fifty euros. After three warnings, the family will no longer be able to remain in France and will be required to leave the territory," specifies the author of the video. A "measure" that would be taken as an extension of the immigration law.

Becoming viral on social networks (over 1.3 million views), this video has prompted a reaction from the French Ministry of the Interior. In a video posted on his X account on Monday, he denied the information. "No, the State is not going to ban Ramadan or deport people who observe it," tempers Camille Chaize, spokesperson for Gérald Darmanin’s department, denouncing a "blatant lie" and referring to an "imaginary ban". She will add: "the Ministry of the Interior has never planned to ban Ramadan or prevent our compatriots of Muslim faith from participating in this important moment". And to deplore: "disinformation and fake news distort public debate and compromise our ability to make informed decisions, fueling the divisions in our society".