Muslim Leaders Urged to Speak Out Against Radicalism, Says Former French Interior Minister

Bernard Cazeneuve was on the front line in the face of the growing terrorist threat during his two years at the Ministry of the Interior. Moreover, in his book, "Facing Violence", he looked back on the fight led at the time by the French government.

A necessary fight, according to him, but a difficult one. "I never made the slightest concession to Islamism," he recalled on Saturday, on the microphone of Europe 1.

For him, what some called "Islamophobia" was nothing more than "an instrument to protect the Republic against extreme violence". During the program, he expressed the need for France to take all its children in its arms, including the Muslims of France.

He also stated that there is only a minority of Muslims who are in the perversion of their religion, seeking to sow violence, division and terror everywhere.

He says he has always called on the others, still respectful of their religion, to make their voices heard more, to express themselves more because they are also the pride of the Republic in their attachment to the value of living together and to republican values.

But, "for this expression to take place, there must be constant dialogue with Muslims. There must be no ambiguity on the part of those at the head of the State," he specified.

Regarding the debate on the veil, Bernard Cazeneuve believes that it is necessary to avoid confusion within the Government and that there must be a clear idea of the values, for the respect of secularism of which the French are proud.