Ex-muslims in France form support group

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CEMF/Facebook

By: Alison Hird Follow 7 min

France has Europe's largest Islamic minority. Not all are practising Muslims but few describe themselves as atheists. The recently formed Council of Ex-Muslims of France (CEMF) represents atheists and non-believers who have faced threats or persecution for abandoning their faith. It defends freedom to criticise all religions, including Islam and has around 30 members so far, largely of north-African, Iranian and Pakistani origin. It claims that even in secular France, renouncing your Muslim faith is not easy. Some defenders of secularism see the group as guardians against political Islam in Europe, they're also welcomed by the far-right.