A major controversy has erupted in France after an Islamist book openly promoting violence against homosexuals, Jews, and Christians was found to be on sale at the French retailer Fnac and can reportedly be purchased with the government-sponsored Culture Pass. The revelations have triggered strong reactions from politicians, who are calling for immediate action.
The book, titled Péchés et Guérison (‘Sins and Healing’) claims to authenticate Islamic hadiths and includes passages that explicitly justify the killing of homosexuals and promote hatred toward Jews and Christians. Excerpts cited by activist Yohan Pawer include statements such as calls to execute homosexuals by stoning them and references to religious violence against non-Muslims.
Despite the extreme nature of the content, the book has been available in bookshops and through mainstream retail platforms, including Amazon and Fnac.
Members of the right-wing Rassemblement National (RN) have condemned the sale of the book. RN MP Julien Odoul accused Fnac that they “sell books by Islamist fanatics calling for murder,” while RN Vice-President Sébastien Chenu urged public prosecutors to investigate the “serious remarks” to “hatred and violence.” RN lawmakers stressed that such content has no place in the French Republic.
The controversy comes amid growing concern over rising Islamist influence among French youth. In the past 40 years, the proportion of Muslims in the French population has risen from 0.5% to 7%, while the share of Catholics has fallen from 83% to 43%. Islam is now the second-largest religion in the country, ahead of Protestantism (4%).
