Muslims in FranceFrench Muslims propose tax on halal food to fund mosques, fight radicalization

Anouar Kbibech, president of the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM), an influential group representing French Muslims, has proposed a tax on halal food to fund mosques and fight radicalization in France.

The proposal was part of a broader counter-radicalization plan by French Muslims, a plan which also calls for the establishment of a new foundation which would help reduce the dependence of French mosques on foreign benefactors.

The Financial Times reports that the idea has gained the support of politicians from both right and left, though questions were raised about the feasibility of the halal tax.

“The idea has existed since the CFCM was founded,” Kbibech told French broadcaster BFMTV.

“We have reached the first step with the signing with of a religious framework in the CFCM’s halal charter, which defines the criteria of halal in France.

“In autumn we will discuss the second part, which is the financial contribution of halal organisations to worship.”

The money raised would go toward paying imams’ salaries and funding the construction and operation of mosques, which cannot receive state support under French law.

The issue of funding mosques has become more pressing after Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the French government would work to ban foreign finding of mosques.

“There needs to be a thorough review to form a new relationship with French Islam,” Valls said. 

“We live in a changed era and we must change our behavior. This is a revolution in our security culture…the fight against radicalization will be the task of a generation.”

Nathalie Goulet, a French lawmaker who chaired a parliamentary panel which wrote a report on the mosque funding, said the creation of a central and transparent foundation was a priority but cast doubt on a halal tax.

“Legally, it is not possible to reduce a tax on a religious item,” she told Le Monde.

“And technically, a ‘halal tax’ would be impossible to implement because there is no unity around the concept of halal.

“What would be possible is that representatives of the religion themselves introduce a private fee for service at the time of slaughter, to be set by the community, collected and sent to the foundation.”

The issue of the sale of halal food in France has been the subject of a separate controversy last week, as several municipalities ordered supermarkets catering to Muslim communities to sell alcohol and pork – both incompatible with halal strictures – or lose their business license.