Islam versus Europe

Qatar, although not the slightest bit French-speaking, two weeks ago joined the International Organisation of la Francphonie as an associate member. And the news has legitimately created surprise. For the Mission laïque française [an organisation that promotes French language and culture abroad], it's the absolute limit. Because this association, which offers French teaching in a hundred establishments across the world, has paid the price for the very distinctive way in which Qatar intends, as its ambassador in Paris says, to "help safeguard and expand the French language".

Its passion for the language of Molière has pushed the Wahhabite emirate to take a close interest in the Voltaire School in Doha, managed by the Mission: in particular it banned a religious history book that discussed Christianity in the Middle Ages and replaced an Arabic teaching manual with one combining teaching of the language and religion. For having complained about this censorship to the French authorities, the Mission is being forced to pack its bags at the end of December.

Qatar doesn't intend to stop down this path of virtue. It wants to "finance establishment like the Voltaire school in the Gulf and Africa" with the aim of "becoming the French-speaking regional lynchpin" in competition with France, warns someone familiar with the plan. Before making an accusation: "Our diplomacy, which ought to be asking questions about this strategy of influence, has been caught short because it only has a vision for the short-term."