France: Poll Shows 61% of French People Say Islam "Incompatible With Society"

Poll: 61 Per Cent of French Say Islam ‘Incompatible’ with Society 

An Ifop survey has discovered that nearly two-thirds of French people, or 61 per cent, believe that Islam is “incompatible with the values of French society”. 

The results are an eight per cent increase compared to a previous study released in February of last year and reflect growing concerns of the impact of religion in public life against France’s traditional secularist stance, according to the study, Le Journal du Dimanche reports. 

Between the left and right of the political spectrum, there is disagreement on the subject of Islam. More than half — 54 per cent — of the supporters of the far-left France Insoumise (Unbowed France) party saying that Muslim worship had a place in France, compared to 85 per cent of the supporters of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally who argued the opposite. 

Frédéric Dabi, deputy director-general of Ifop, said that “the definition of secularism seems to be changing” noting an increase for the support of separation of religion and politics as the main issue compared to a 2005 poll in which equality of religion was the main topic of which Frenchmen were concerned.