Islamists in France are reportedly financing themselves through trendy clothing stores targeting young Muslims with hip-hop-style streetwear.
A report by the French government intelligence service, the Central Directorate of General Information, has exposed the link. Conservative daily Le Figaro said: 'Baseball hats, balaclavas, tracksuits in gaudy colours ... seduce radical Islamists who feed off ethnic identity.'
However, the French Council of Muslim Faith (CFCM) has denounced the public exposure given to the intelligence reports this month. 'The fight against terrorism is a police affair,' said Youcef Mammeri. 'There is no value in making their work a media spectacle - except to yet again point the finger at Islam.'
Jean-Paul Proust, special adviser to the Interior Ministry, said police were not targeting Islam but were keen to identify groups which could be behind the actions of terrorist groups.
With marketing directed strongly towards young adherents of Islam, the flourishing business, with a turnover of millions of euro, is said to be especially prevalent in the Paris suburbs and around large migrant enclaves.
According to police, a couple of successful fashion brands in particular are under investigation. Both are 'tightly linked with the Salafist movement [a radical Algerian group] by means of their owners'.