Overview

• The Forum de l’Islam de France (Forif), established in 2022 to replace the defunct French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM), has struggled to produce tangible results since its inception.
• Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau held an informal meeting with Muslim leaders on February 4 to prepare for the next Forif session scheduled for February 18.
• Key topics for the upcoming session include the creation of a formal status for imams, improved training and recruitment processes, and enhanced security for Muslim places of worship.
• The Forif was intended to address local and national challenges in French Islam, but its decentralized structure has hindered collective progress and concrete outcomes.
• Retailleau has emphasized combating political Islam and ensuring the cohesion of national principles, continuing policies introduced by his predecessor Gérald Darmanin.