French minister warns of ‘Islamo-leftism’ in universities

Comments by the minister of higher education led to a backlash and come against the backdrop of a fractious relationship between the state and anti-racism movement.

The French minister for higher education has sparked a backlash from university heads after warning about the spread of “Islamo-leftism” in the country’s academic institutions. The term “Islamo-leftism” is often used in France by far-right politicians to discredit left-wing opponents they accuse of being blind to the dangers of what they term “Islamist extremism” and overly worried about racism and identity. “I think that Islamo-leftism is eating away at our society as a whole, and universities are not immune and are part of our society,” Minister for Higher Education Frederique Vidal told CNews television on Sunday.