Is France becoming Muslim?

There are at least 10% of France populations who are Muslim, and conversion to Islam has accelerated recently.
There are more than 150 people converted to Islam in the white building of Sahaba Masque in Créteil, France every year. A Masque with elegant tiles and 25 meter high minarets which were built in 2008, and it is the symbol of expansion of Islam in France.

Of approximately 6 million Muslims in France, 100 thousand have are converted from other religions, which is twice as many conversion in 1986. While French Muslim organizations consider this figure to be 200 thousand people.

From Godard’s point of view, who has been an intelligence officer, the important thing is that nature of religious conversion is changing in France. Changing religion to marry is a long-time phenomenon in France, but now conversion occurs among youth that are living in neighborhoods with predominantly Muslims populations.

Samir Amghar, radical sociologist and expert in France says, in some of neighborhoods that Muslims are the predominant population, even the non-Muslims honor Ramadan and they consider it unity among neighbors.

In many neighborhoods Islam is not only the social norm, but it is shelter against social problems.

Abdurrahman Ghoul, the imam of a Mosque in Marseille, and the local leader of Muslim Council of France says the speed of conversion to Islam is unbelievable. He said; “we had over 130 certificate of conversion to Islam issued.”

Many of the experts believe in the impact of celebrities’ conversion, especially football stars. Nicolas Anelka converted to Islam in 2004 and changed his name to Abdulsalam Anelka. Franck Ribery also converted to Islam to marry a Muslim woman in 2006, and changed his name to Bilal Yusuf Mohammed.