Muslims increasingly devout

"More practicing Muslims than 20 years ago," headlinesLa Croix on the occasion of the first day of the Ramadan fast. The daily cites the results of a survey which shows that 71% France’s Muslims intend to fast for the entire month. "The intention to participate in Ramadan has increased strongly, rising by 10 points since 1989, the date of the first French survey. And it is also a general sign of an upsurge of in the numbers of the 3.5-million strong French Muslim population who practice their religion," explains the Catholic daily. Fasting is especially prevalent among the 18-24 age group, which also scores highly for visits to places of worship, explains La Croix. The picture of the French Muslim population that emerges from the survey is of a “young" (62% are aged under 35) and traditionally left-leaning community. According to the deputy director of the polling agency Ifop, cited by the daily, this political bias has been boosted by the recent government sponsored debate on French identity, which alienated many Muslims.