This is what the president of France REALLY thinks of Islam, like Hillary he has a Public and Private Stance

The French president’s candid remarks on the sensitive issue of Islam, part of a wide-ranging collection of interviews that also touch on his troubled private life, have triggered a frenzy on both sides of the political divide.



A 672-page doorstopper of a book, “A President Should Not Say That,” is the result of a staggering 61 private interviews François Hollande granted to investigative journalists Gérard Davet and Fabrice Lhomme throughout his term in office.



The book is due out on Thursday, but critics have already seized on extracts leaked to the press to round on the unpopular French president – accusing him at once of Islamophobia and “appeasement” to Islam, a hot-button issue in the run-up to next year’s presidential election.



One phrase from Hollande has attracted particular scrutiny from right-wing commentators: “The veiled woman of today will be the Marianne of tomorrow,” a reference to the cherished figure of a woman bearing the tri-colour who symbolises the staunchly secular French Republic.



Bruno Lemaire, one of several candidates vying for the conservative ticket in next year’s presidential election, responded furiously: “Tomorrow like yesterday, Marianne will never be veiled!”



Brigitte Kuster, a spokesperson for the opposition conservative Les Républicains party (formerly the UMP), said Hollande “would be well advised to clarify his position” because “such a phrase endangers the Republic he is supposed to defend”.