France Following 9,000 Tips on Islamic Extremism
French authorities have received 9,000 tips related to Islamic extremism through a dedicated hotline and a website, President Francois Hollande said Thursday. French officials believe some 600 Muslims have left the country for Syria and Iraq, but the president's comments about thousands of tips offer a hint of the scale of the concern over religious radicalism in France . Hollande was quick to note that not all the tips were linked to genuine dangers, but said it was a sign that France needed a program to fight extremism. "We should create de-radicalization centers," he said. The period during which the tips were made wasn't made clear, although a hotline has been active in some form since 2014. Hollande was speaking during a televised exchange with Veronique Roy, whose son is believed to have died in Syria after converting to a radical form of Islam. Roy was one of four citizen panelists brought as part of a town hall-style question-and-answer ses