Paris--French Prime Minister Manuel Valls stressed on Monday there was no link between extremism and Islam, as he opened a conference aimed at improving ties with France's large Muslim community.
"We must say all of this is not Islam," said Valls. "The hate speech, anti-Semitism that hides behind anti-Zionism and hate for Israel... the self-proclaimed imams in our neighbourhoods and our prisons who are promoting violence and terrorism."
Five months after the jihadist attacks in Paris that killed 17 people and shocked the world, the government plans to hold a series of meetings with top officials from the roughly five million-strong Muslim community, the largest in Europe.
The first forum -- expected to be attended by between 120-150 Muslim community leaders as well as top government officials and ministers -- will debate security at religious sites, the image of Islam in the media and the building of new mosques.
There are some 2,500 mosques in France, with another 300 projects underway, but creating new Muslim places of worship has sometimes prompted fierce opposition from local residents.
AFP
