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France following 9,000 tips on Islamic extremism

French President Francois Hollande poses prior to a debate on national television in Paris, France, Thursday, April 14, 2016. French President Francois Hollande answers questions on national television from members of the public, as the unpopular president faces labor protests and questions about whether he'll run for re-election. (Stephane de Sakutin, Pool Photo via AP)
French President Francois Hollande poses prior to a debate on national television in Paris, France, Thursday, April 14, 2016. French President Francois Hollande answers questions on national television from members of the public, as the unpopular president faces labor protests and questions about whether he'll run for re-election. (Stephane de Sakutin, Pool Photo via AP) French President Francois Hollande poses prior to a debate on national television in Paris, France, Thursday, April 14, 2016. French President Francois Hollande answers questions on national television from members of the public, as the unpopular president faces labor protests and questions about whether he'll run for re-election. (Stephane de Sakutin, Pool Photo via AP)

By Associated Press 1 min read

PARIS (AP) – 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.