Marion Marechal will stand trial for defamation of Muslim school

On 2 September, Marion Maréchal, a French Euro MP and heiress of the political household Le Pen, will face trial in Valence in connection with the charge of defamation of the "Valeurs et Réussite" organization which runs a private Muslim school.

The case concerns her statements of 2023, published on social media in which she accused the organization of ties to the muslim Muslim Brotherhood organization and of having “the same goals as Al-Qaeda and Daesh”. This judicial procedure becomes a symbolic ideological clash around laickness, Islam in France and the limits of freedom of expression.

The “Valeurs et Réussite” organisation, which manages the school outside the contract with the state, receives about 40 students. In January 2024 she filed a suit against Maréchal, claiming that her public accusations seriously damaged the reputation of the school and the organization. This is not the first time an institution has defended its name – in 2022 she sued a satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo For an article suggesting her relation with the Brotherhood. This case ended with the acquittal of the editorial board – the court found that the attribution of links is within the limits of public debate and constitutes “an infinitely subjective judgement of value”. He besides stressed that the Brotherhood is not a banned organization in France.

However, Marion Maréchal is about much stronger wording. The MP stated in the recordings on TikTok and Instagram that the organization "Valeurs et Réussite" is not only related to Islamists, but that its objectives are identical to the objectives of terrorist organizations specified as Al-Qaeda and Daesh. It will now be crucial for the court to find whether these words can be considered as part of a free political debate, whether they cross the limits of the law and constitute a discussion.

Maréchal does not retreat from his words. In comments for the media, she claims to have been the victim of a "judgment jihad".

"For 15 years I have been fighting the Muslim Brotherhood. Wherever they effort to get influence, they meet me. They got it right. That's why they're trying to silence me with lawsuits. This is simply a real judicial jihad," she said, adding that she would gladly appear in court and number on the support of her supporters.

The issue is in a broader socio-political context. The French government has late published a study that the Muslim Brotherhood is conducting a long-term strategy for infiltration of institutions in France and Europe, with the eventual nonsubjective of imposing sharia. According to this document, the structures related to the Brotherhood have an impact not only on mosques or spiritual associations, but besides on schools, sports organizations, employment agencies and even Muslim dating portals. The study besides states that they are training activists to influence the lives of migrant communities and direct them towards rigorous interpretations of Islam.

The same study provides data on at least 114 Koranic schools in France which allegedly have direct links with the Brotherhood. In the eyes of politicians like Maréchal, it is adequate proof of real danger. For any of the public and the legal community, it is inactive besides weak a basis to justify harsh rhetoric comparing specified structures to terrorist organisations.

The process in September will so have not only a legal but besides a symbolic dimension. This will be a clash between national-conservative ideology, represented by Maréchal, and Muslim environments that feel stigmatized and unfairly accused. The proceeding can besides give an answer to the question of where freedom of speech ends in France and begins defamation – especially erstwhile it comes to a subject as delicate as Islam and national security.

Regardless of the result of the trial, the Marion Maréchal case and the Valeurs et Réussite case are already very emotional. For some, it is simply a voice of courage towards Islam. For others – irresponsible hatred. The September verdict of the court can affect how politicians, media and citizens will discuss integration, extremism and the limits of public debate in France in the future.