French education document sparks accusations of racism The imam of the city of Poitiers said that the directive risked stigmatising Muslims, who number around five million in France. "This document is probably well-intentioned ... but its method is wrong and it is dangerous," said Imam Boubaker El Hadj Amor. The controversy comes as France struggles with a growing problem of young people - both Muslim and non-Muslim - being lured to the Middle East to wage jihad in the ranks of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil). The issue was highlighted last week when a young Frenchmen was identified among the executioners of Syrian prisoners and a US aid worker in the latest Islamic State video. More than a thousand French people are believed to be involved in some way with jihad, with nearly 400 thought to be fighting on the front lines. The directive from the Poitiers education authorities was titled "Prevention of radicalisation in the school environment." It urged teachers to look out for seven external signs that their pupils might be succumbing to the lure of jihad. These included a long beard, "Muslim" clothing, weight loss, "political rhetoric" about Palestinians, Chechnya or Iraq, "selective exposure to media (with a preference for jihadist websites) ," and an interest in the history and origins of Islam. The education authority has declined to comment on the directive. But Education Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem said that the document could "undoubtedly" have been more tactful, but that it was an "isolated" measure by a single education authority. "Perhaps the words were not perfect, but we are going to improve matters" she said.