France, ‘country which understands Islam the least’: Al Ghannouchi

The leader of the Tunisian Islamist has denounced recent remarks by French Interior Minister, “France is a country which understands Islam the least.”
Al Jazeera quoted Rashid Ghannouchi, leader of the Tunisian IslamistEnnahda Movement, speaking to Journal du Dimanche, that “relations between Tunisia and France are very complex. Although France is very close to us, but it has little understanding of Islam and Tunisians.”

He continued “the recent remark by French Interior Minister is not acceptable; Manuel Valls by evoking an ‘Islamic Fascism’ has put all Islamist groups on the same scale, and he does not differentiate between Muslim Brotherhood, and al-Qaeda, and it shows that he has no understanding of Islam.”

Al Ghannouchi continued “France, unlike other countries, such as Germany, UK, and the US understand Islam better and acknowledge that Islam is not composed of one group, and it is composed of moderates, extremists and other groups, the group who is now governing Tunisia is a moderate stream of Islam.”

Manuel Valls had warned what he called ‘Islamic fascism’ in Libya, Egypt, and Tunisia when a Tunisian opposition leader was assassinated. This statement incited rallies in Tunisia by thousands of people, who chanted slogans against Paris and France’s Interior Minister.

France, due to its support for Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the ousted Tunisian president, has been continuously criticized by Tunisian political groups.