In December 2023, a report from the northern prefecture ridicules the Averroès Muslim high school, presented as an establishment “separatist”, and justifies an order aimed at terminating the association contract which binds it to the State. However, this twelve-page report includes “many errors” et “several strange omissions” as Mediapart will reveal.
Then director of Sciences Po Lille, Pierre Mathiot, opposed this decision. Despite the establishment’s appeals, the association contract ended in September 2024. Pierre Mathiot discussed this matter at length in the online newspaper AOC. Through a complete and rigorous reconstruction, the politician denounces the treatment reserved for this establishment. Interview.
You wrote a series of articles about the Averroès high school in which you denounced a “state scandal”. How scandalous does the fate reserved for this school appear to you?
For me, it was about raising the question of the rigorous application of the law and recalling that the first value of the Republic is justice.
Firstly, the decision to withdraw the association contract seems to me to be totally disproportionate in relation to the criticisms which could reasonably be made against this establishment. After carefully examining the entire file, it appears that a large part of the arguments put forward by the prefect or other actors were inconsistent. There is therefore a manifest and unjustifiable gap between the alleged facts and the seriousness of the sanction taken.
In this case, we are faced with what amounts to a unilateral trial
Second, the methods used by the prefect to justify his decision do not respect the principles of the rule of law. When representing the State and having to make a court decision, it is imperative to consider both the arguments for the prosecution and those for the defense in order to ensure a fair and balanced decision. However, in this case, we are faced with what appears to be a unilateral trial.
Only accusatory arguments were accepted. The prefecture never took into account the report of the General Inspectorate of National Education of June 2020, a document ordered by Jean-Michel Blanquer himself. This report was never cited and was only communicated to the Averroès association very late.
I am myself a civil servant, I am unwaveringly attached to the rule of law and to fair and measured management of public affairs, so I can only be outraged by such a situation.
You mention a report from the General Inspectorate of National Education carried out in June 2020, completely ignored during the consultation commission. How could a report made by national education experts be ignored?
The Inspector General’s report was ignored precisely because it was favorable to the high school. But, let’s first go back to 2019 to understand the context in which this report was produced.
In April 2019, the publication of the book by journalists Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot “Qatar Papers: How the emirate finances Islam in France and Europe” fueled criticism against the Averroès high school. Faced with a questioning from an elected representative of the National Rally, Xavier Bertrand then adopted a strict position. He decided to unilaterally suspend the regional subsidy to the high school under the pretext of fighting against the supposed influence of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Xavier Bertrand is an experienced politician. He knows perfectly well that his decision is illegal, but he takes it all the same, probably for political reasons linked to his desire to counterbalance the RN’s speech. Xavier Bertrand therefore writes to Jean-Michel Blanquer, asking him to initiate an inspection mission concerning the Averroès high school, claiming to be faced with a serious problem with this establishment. It is interesting to note that, a year and a half earlier, Xavier Bertrand publicly praised the merits of this high school.
Jean-Michel Blanquer commissioned a general inspection in October 2019 to evaluate the high school. The report submitted to him in June 2020 is extremely positive. This situation places Jean-Michel Blanquer in a delicate position vis-à-vis Xavier Bertrand. It would have been politically embarrassing for him to admit that the inspection, which he had requested to allay his concerns, ultimately concluded very favorably for the school.
This casual treatment contributes to fueling the idea of biased management of the file by the prefecture
The controversy amplified during a regional council, where an elected official from the National Rally publicly mentioned the existence of this favorable report. Xavier Bertrand, president of the region, reacts violently and affirms that he completely rejects this report, preferring to rely on the book Qatar Papers to justify his position.
The Averroès high school association ended up obtaining the report just a few days before the decisive commission in November 2023. This delay therefore makes its use difficult. Commission members only receive the document the day before their meeting, and many do not have time to read it. This casual treatment contributes to fueling the idea of biased management of the file by the prefecture.
In your article, you compare the treatment of the Averroès high school to the Stanislas high school in Paris. What analysis do you do?
If the State controlled all private establishments under contract with the same intensity as it did for Averroès, there would be dozens of establishments which would lose their contracts!
I cannot help but speak of a “double standard”, because in the case of Stanislas, the general inspection report was extremely harsh. However, those in charge of the establishment were informed of this quickly. A working group with the rectorate was set up to “remediate” the problems observed and to date other forms of “sanctions” have never been considered. In the case of a Muslim high school (I remind you that 95% of private establishments under contract are Catholic), the public authorities act in a completely different way. So, I can’t help but wonder the reason.
The weight of prejudices and ignorance of Islam are striking
Unfortunately, I believe that for certain senior officials, the fact that it is a Muslim establishment significantly modifies their approach. I believe that there is a blatant lack of consideration towards the associative actors concerned and, more generally, towards Muslims. The weight of prejudice and ignorance of Islam are striking. I must note that post-colonial stereotypes persist in France, and particularly in the upper echelons of the State, which lead to French Muslims not being taken for French people like any other.
I add that those in charge of a Catholic establishment can easily obtain the attention of the authorities, because their personal networks connect them to it. Many civil servants or prefects were themselves educated in Catholic establishments, their children are often students there. If a problem arises in a private Catholic high school, contact is easy between the Catholic hierarchy and the State. On the other hand, when those responsible for Averroès wrote to offer to be received, they did not even get a response!
What are the future prospects for Averroès high school?
The association is currently working to finalize the appeal on the merits before the Lille administrative court against the Prefect’s decision. To do this, it mobilizes numerous arguments, including external articles and analyses. For its part, the prefecture is also preparing a legal response, which is of course the rule in such a situation. The judgment of the administrative court should take place in early spring 2025. It will profoundly influence the future of the establishment.
If the administrative court annuls the prefect’s decision, then the contract between the State and the establishment would be restored
If the administrative court annuls the prefect’s decision, then the contract between the State and the establishment would be restored. In this case, this would force the State and the region to resume funding from the 2024-2025 school year, and the contract would be reactivated from the start of the 2025 school year. The State could appeal this decision, but this would not prevent arguably not the contract to be active during the appeal process, which could take several years.
If, on the other hand, the administrative court validates the prefect’s decision, then the establishment will remain outside the contract and will have difficulty maintaining the current “outside contract” situation for more than two or three years, mainly for financial reasons.
As a privileged observer of this affair, how do you interpret the treatment reserved for the Averroès high school in the national political context?
I think that the fairly widespread prejudice which consists of seeing Islam as a religion external to France reinforces the idea of a fundamental incompatibility with the Republic. However, objectively, Islam is today the second religion in France and it is no longer the religion of foreigners living in France, but that, first of all, of French people. This paradox is obvious when we look at the Averroès high school. The establishment is under contract so under the supervision of the State, it welcomes 60% of scholarships, which is a record for a private high school, these rates of success in the baccalaureate and continuation of studies in Higher education are remarkable, he is praised for his attitude after the various attacks…
I am convinced that the Averroès issue goes far beyond the local framework.
I am convinced that the Averroès issue goes far beyond the local framework. Its treatment by the State appears to me to be indicative of the difficulties encountered by the Republic in its relationship with Islam and of the stereotypes which persist within it.
This problem is also fueled by the ambient political climate, in particular by the growing electoral weight of the National Rally. Some political leaders believe that by adopting a strict and unambiguous attitude towards everything that closely or remotely resembles Islam, it will be possible to pull the rug from under the feet of the extreme right.
But this strategy, which will have no effect on the RN vote, fuels the incomprehension and anger of French people of Muslim faith. It creates in them a feeling of injustice and marginality. It is urgent to go beyond simplistic visions to promote a more peaceful and respectful relationship between public institutions and citizens in their diversity.
Comments collected by Amina Al Bouazzaoui
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