France To Counter Extremism By Doubling Islamic Varsity Courses

The number of Islamic university courses in France are going to double from 6 to 12, said Manuel Valls, the French Prime Minister, according to rt. The courses will be paid for by the French state, in order to blunt the impact of French Imams, who are receiving funds from abroad.

Valls pointed out that the measure to improve home-grown French Islamic education is important so that it can improve a situation in which "Islamist extremism and the far right feed off each other."

The speech was delivered in the eastern city of Strasbourg. The anxiety levels follow the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks in January as well as a rise in right-wing support for the anti-immigration National Front Party, led by Marine Le Pen.

While there are more Muslims in France and Germany than the whole of western Europe, according to Pew estimations, the National Front is leading the polls in the regional elections, which will take place in the following month of April.

The Socialist government is reportedly concerned about the rising popularity graph of the anti-immigration and anti-Europe National Front party, according to france24.

 "The rise of far-right populist politics, in Europe as well as in our own country, feeds directly off the rise of jihadism, terrorism and radical extremism. It is a situation that puts our democracy, our society and our capacity to live together in extreme jeopardy," said Valls.

While the National Front party has got 25 percent of the votes in the latest EU elections, taking over a dozen municipalities in the 2014 elections, it also got a historic victory with two seats in the upper house of parliament.

In a recent feature in The New York Times, Marine Le Pen lambasted the government and the political establishment for "20 years of mistakes" on immigration and Europe, pointing out that it had offered a "fertile ground for the creation of radical Islam."

The PM pointed out that it is important that imams and prison chaplains are trained in France and not abroad, so that they can "speak French fluently and to understand the concept of secularism", which is core to the values of the French Republic.

"But there will be no laws, decrees or government directives to define what Islam means. The French state will never attempt to take control of a religion," he added.

Valls was accompanied by the Minister for Education, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, and the Minster of the Interior and Religious Affairs, Bernaud Cazeneuve, during the meeting with Muslim leaders at the Grand Central Mosque in Strasbourg.

The meeting follows statements made in the Senate in February and the creation of the so-called "forum for dialogue" with Islam in France.

In January, the French government launched a 425 million euro anti-terror plan and launched a special website designed to inform the public on ways to prevent radicalization.