“There is no ambiguity. This association does not correspond to our values of secularism. It does not carry our goals of inclusion and emancipation, not at all. It is the opposite of that”, declared Laurence Boone . The French Secretary of State for Europe denounced on Monday the European Commission’s renewed support for an association considered close to the Muslim Brotherhood.
The French Secretary of State for Europe denounced on Monday the European Commission’s renewed support for an association considered close to the Muslim Brotherhood which “does not correspond” according to her to the “values of secularism” of France. “There is no ambiguity. This association does not correspond to our values of secularism. It does not carry our goals of inclusion and emancipation, not at all. It is the opposite of that”, declared Laurence Boone on the public channel France 2.
Last November, the Minister Delegate in charge of Citizenship at the time, Marlène Schiappa, was already surprised by the links between the European Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli and Femyso, a European confederation of associations of young Muslims, which she had described as “false nose of Islamism”.
“Obviously, that wasn’t enough”
In August, the case came back to the fore when Femyso was one of the associations appearing in a video published by the European Commission to celebrate the continent’s youth. “My predecessor Clément Beaune had written with Marlène Schiappa to the European Commission. Obviously, that was not enough. We are writing again with Gérald Darmanin”, Minister of the Interior, she added.
“I am contacting my counterparts in all European countries to put pressure on the commission.” Asked if the presence of the Femyso in this video was a “blunder”, Laurence Boone replied: “It’s something that shouldn’t be there.”