Study Reveals a Radical Shift Among Young French Muslims
A new study has found that a majority of young French Muslims now place sharia above the laws of the Republic, marking what researchers describe as a sharp rise in religious rigor and political Islam among younger generations.
The poll, conducted for Ecran de veille magazine, reports that 57 per cent of Muslims aged 15 to 24 believe Islamic law should override French legislation in areas such as ritual slaughter, marriage, and inheritance. Three decades ago, only 36 per cent of French Muslims aged 18 to 24 held that view.
More than a third of respondents also expressed sympathy for Islamist ideology. The study’s author, historian François Kraus, argues that the findings reflect “a process of re-Islamisation” driven largely by youth. He said the survey “very clearly outlines the profile of a Muslim population increasingly structured around rigorous religious norms and tempted by an Islamist political project,” adding that “fundamentalism has won over the minds of more than one in three Muslims.” According to the study, 38 per cent of Muslims surveyed supported all or part of Islamist positions in 2025, double the proportion in 1998.
Kraus told The Telegraph that this shift represents “a need for radicalism” expressed through stricter religious attitudes that extend beyond personal faith to a desire to organize social and cultural life according to Islamic precepts. He also pointed to what he called “violent gender separatism,” noting that 45 per cent of young Muslims now refuse to take part in the traditional French cheek-kiss greeting.
Several elements of sharia remain incompatible with French law, including unequal inheritance for women, corporal punishment for certain crimes, and tight restrictions on personal freedoms.
The study also highlights major changes in religious practice. Mosque attendance has surged from 7 per cent in 1989 to 40 per cent today. Strict Ramadan fasting rose from 51 per cent to 83 per cent, and the number of young women wearing the veil has nearly tripled. Alcohol consumption among Muslims under 25 has fallen sharply, from nearly 30 per cent in 2011 to just 12 per cent. Only 12 per cent of young Muslims now believe Islam should adapt to modernity, compared to 41 per cent in 1998.
France has the largest Muslim population in Europe, representing roughly 7 per cent of its citizens, up from less than 1 per cent forty years ago.
These findings come on the heels of a confidential report delivered to President Emmanuel Macron in May warning that Islamist networks, particularly those linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, were engaged in “entryism,” infiltrating schools, associations, and local institutions in an effort to reshape them “from within.” In July, Macron announced new “restrictive measures” aimed at combating Islamist influence through financial sanctions and increased oversight of suspect organisations.
Reactions to the study have been swift. Pierre-Romain Thionnet of the National Rally said the data confirmed that Muslim youth are “not assimilating but re-Islamising.” Former Salafist imam Bruno Guillot told Europe 1 that Islam and sharia are inseparable, insisting, “Islam is sharia; sharia is Islam.”
Chems-Eddine Mohamed Hafiz, rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, offered a different explanation, saying the numbers reflect widespread resentment and a sense of discrimination among young Muslims. He cited earlier polling showing that 66 per cent of them believe they have been victims of racism. “As an imam, I talk to a lot of young people. They tell me they are constantly stigmatised,” he told Charlie Hebdo.
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