New Study Finds 50% of French Muslims Support Islamic State in No Go Zones

At AFP, Ivan Rioufol denounces an “intimidation” that would be “exploited by a religious minority”. “To say that 50% of young Muslims have a practice of Islam” that is fundamentalist “and” adopted a system of values clearly opposed to the values of the Republic “is a fact noted in this study of the Montaigne Institute,” he affirms. “To bring it closer to the ideology of the Islamic State that applies sharia is a matter of my freedom to comment.”



In fact, Ivan Rioufol did indeed benefit to a large extent from his “freedom of comment”. The poll he quoted on CNews, was conducted by Ifop on behalf of the very liberal Institut Montaigne, and was published in September 2016 by the Sunday Journal. It divides the Muslim population living in France into three categories: 46% are “secularized”, totally secular; 25% have “Islamic pride”, being defined above all as Muslim and proud of the public expression of their religion; and 28% of the “Ultras” living in breach of republican values, polled in favor of the wearing of niqab or burqa and polygamy. The latter group is overrepresented among young people, as 50% of Muslims under 25 years of age are members of the group, according to the study.



It is thus to these 28% of Muslims that Ivan Rioufol reproaches with claim “of the ideology of the Islamic State”. Yet, the panel of respondents “was not questioned on Daesh,” said the Institut Montaigne on Twitter on Tuesday. “In no case can the findings of our inquiry feed your comments,” the think tank added to the attention of the editorial writer.