France: Le Pen Accuses Qatar of 'playing a Muslim Double Game'

Marine Le Pen, the French far-right presidential candidate has criticised Qatar, saying the Gulf state plays a "double game."

The 43-year-old also criticised the gas-rich country for investing in "Muslim areas" and taking over the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) football club.

"The massive investments which it has made in suburbs are made because of the very high proportion of Muslims who are in the French suburbs," the AP quoted her as telling reporters.

"I think this situation could be very dangerous," she said. "We are letting a foreign country choose its investments with regard to the religion of this or that part of the French population or of French territory."

The wealthy Gulf state, whose international profile has grown in recent years, created a 50-million-euro fund for entrepreneurs coming from deprived suburbs to set up businesses.

Le Pen then criticised, Qatar, one of France's closes Arab ally for taking over the PSG football club.

"It does actually bother me that Qatar bought Paris Saint-Germain," she also said.

The politician, whose popularity has grown in recent months, currently leaving her just two percentage points behind President Nicholas Sarkozy also accused the tiny country of "playing a double game" by presenting the image of a "enlightened" country while also supporting Islamists militant groups.

Marine Le Pen succeeded to her father Jean-Marie Le Pen as the leader of the National Front in January last year.