The Council of Mosques of France (CMR) is calling on French Muslims “to go to the polls in good conscience,” and vote against the far right on April 24, during the second round of the French presidential election.
Just as in 2017, incumbent President Emmanuel Macron and National Rally candidate Marine Le Pen will once again face off in the presidential election’s second round.
“Today, France is divided between two conceptions of freedom. One wants to prohibit Muslims from freely practicing their religion by forbidding them to dress or eat according to the precepts of their religion,” said the CMR in a statement released Sunday, April 19.
The council continued that “another candidate claims to want to maintain the fundamental principles that allow everyone to live and practice their faith,” in reference to Macron.
“These two conceptions of secularism are opposed and must challenge Muslims, who will once again be solicited because their vote could be decisive for France and the French people,” explains the CMR.
“We can not and should not be tempted by abstention, because it would offer those who make Muslims and Islam their hobbyhorse by promising them if they were elected ‘the fires of hell’, we must with our voices resist them.”
“As responsible citizens”, the leaders of the CMR call on all French people of Muslim culture and faith “to mobilize on April 24 so that no vote is lost and to block the extreme right” and “to remain vigilant by making an act of massive presence in all upcoming elections to influence the choice of policies that will be conducted.
Before the first round, the CMR had called on all voters to vote to “prevent those who want to “kick out of France” the Muslims”.
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