Chems-eddine Hafiz Expresses Concern Over Increasing Islamophobia During Presidential Campaign

Chems-eddine Hafiz, the rector of Paris’s Grande Mosquée, has voiced alarm over the growing anti-Islam rhetoric in the French presidential election. He warned that the rhetoric could lead to a “spiral of hatred” and unfairly scapegoat law-abiding Muslims, similar to the discriminatory discourse against Jews in the 1930s. Hafiz expressed his deep concern about the fracturing of French society, exacerbated by fear and insecurity after the pandemic. He highlighted how Muslims have become the new target of blame, contrasting it with past instances when Jews were demonized. Hafiz’s concerns come as right-wing candidates in the election compete to criticize Islam and Muslims, a trend he calls dangerous. To combat this, Hafiz published a book titled With All Due Respect, We’re Children of the Republic in an effort to challenge the rising anti-Muslim rhetoric.