It doesn’t call itself a Muslim party. It calls itself the party of the “banlieue”. The word “banlieue” literally means suburb, but in practice it has come to acquire something of the connotation that the word “ghetto” has in English.
The party, which currently has 7 federations, in Ile-de-France and in Martinique, will present several candidates in the municipal elections of 2014, announced its founder, Abdel-Malik Djermoune, during a press conference.
“Our goal is to be present in the whole country within one year,” added Abdel-Malik Djermoune, a former association officer, who hopes for an “increase in power” of the movement in view of the “next elections”
The party of the banlieue, which presents itself as the “first party exclusively dedicated to the banlieue”, has a program containing 50 proposals, including the creation of a “Minister for Multiculturalism” and the installation of the “right to vote for foreigners”. It also campaigns for the legislation and the consumption of cannabis.
“In the French political landscape, there is no political party that can take a message to the banlieues without irrational inhibitions”, declared Abdel-Malik Djermoune, who defends himself against accusations of communitarianism. “We are trying to include, not to exclude”, he added.