Marine Le Pen is to go on criminal trial for inciting racial hatred in France after comparing Muslims who pray on the streets to wartime Nazis, it was announced Tuesday.

The legal action is a huge blow to the leader of the country's National Front as she bids to become President in 2017.

Ms Le Pen made the vicious attack on Islam in 2010, criticising those who were forced to pray outside in cities such as Paris because there are so few mosques.

Charged: Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Front party, will stand trial over comments she made in 2010 when she compared Muslims forced to pray in the streets to the World War II Nazi Occupation of France

Evoking the Nazi Occupation of the French capital between 1940 and 1944, Ms Le Pen said

'For those who like to talk about World War Two, to talk about occupation, we could talk about, for once, the occupation of our territory.

'It is an occupation of part of the territory, suburbs where religious law is applied. Sure, there are no armoured vehicles, no soldiers, but it is an occupation nonetheless and it weighs on residents.'

Ms Le Pen, who had been addressing a crowd in Lyon, eastern France, was immediately investigated for inciting racial hatred, but the enquiry was initially dropped.

It was not until 2012 that a formal complaint by an anti-racism group led to a full-blown judicial enquiry being opened.

Oblivious: Marine Le Pen, pictured with her father, France's former far-right leader Jean-Marie, has said she is 'absolutely convinced' court will clear her of the charges

Ms Le Pen was charged in July 2014 after her immunity as a member of the European Parliament was lifted following a vote.

Aiming high: The racial hatred charges are a huge blow to Le Pen's bid to become President in 2017

Responding to the announcement of the trial by judges in Paris, Ms Le Pen told the AFP news agency she would attend, saying: 'Yes, of course.. I wouldn't miss such an occasion.'

Earlier, Ms Le Pen said: 'I will now defend myself in court and I am absolutely convinced that it will rule in my favour and defend my right to tell the French the truth about the situation.'

Ms Le Pen believes her suspicions of Islam are shared by 'a majority of French people' and that the trial will highlight 'violations of secularism in France'.

But critics point to the fact that there are some six million Muslims in France, and they are as entitled to worship as Catholics, Jews and other religions.

The National Front is riding high in opinion polls, thanks partly to the economic disasters of the Socialist government, and the often ineffective opposition of the right-wing Republican Party.

Another reason for its success has been the way Ms Le Pen has distanced the party from its extremist past.

Her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, founded the party and became its principal figurehead for decades, but he is a convicted racist and anti-Semite.

A similar criminal conviction for Ms Le Pen will plunge the party into further controversy, just as it was building momentum ahead of the regional elections in December and the presidential election in 2017.