The primary Muslims came to France hundreds of years ago, emulating the occupation of Spain by the Moors in the eighth century. Some settled on the edge of Toulouse and even as far north as Burgundy, and there are stays of an eighth-century mosque in Narbonne.

Basque nation, and around Narbonne and in the Béarn. By the fifteenth century, the development of ocean exchange carried the French into contact with Islam in the Ottoman territory, in West Africa, and in the Indian Ocean.

With magnificent development, France turned into a “defender” or colonizer of numerous regions with lion’s share Muslim populace, as in Egypt (1798), Algeria (1830), West Africa (1880), Tunisia (1881), Morocco (1912), and Syria and Lebanon (1920). The most fabulous number of Muslims moved to France throughout the contemporary period, in the wake of the colonial wars of freedom (1954–62). Their vicinity in France today could be followed once again to the finish of this time of decolonization, when numerous Muslims were formally enlisted for work, yet a great part of the migration was spontaneous Outside viewers of Islam in France frequently paint a picture of a homogeneous Muslim neighborhood that is quick picking up on the “local” French populace, one whose religious constancy stands in stark stand out from its environment. The rate of extension of this group and its recognized float far from standard French social order was the subject of much hypothesis and political moving, both by aspiring Muslim pioneers and by the amazing right in French legislative issues. The Front National (FN) (National Front) party once printed on its fight publications the startling and erroneous forecast “France will be a Muslim nation by 2020.”

The majority of individuals in France, consistent with another survey, accept that Islam is excessively compelling in French social order, and essentially half see Muslims as a risk to their national character. France, which is home to an expected six million Muslims, has the biggest Muslim populace in the European Union. There are presently, indeed, more practicing Muslims in France than there are practicing Roman Catholics.

Taken together, the investigation information furnishes exact proof that Islam is well on its route to surpassing Roman Catholicism as the predominant religion in France. This pattern is likewise reflected in the way that mosques are being built more regularly in France than are Roman Catholic churches; a large number of mosques are presently under development in France.

The sum number of mosques in France has as of recently reached to more than 2,000 throughout only the previous ten years, reports say. “Constructing Mosques: The Governance of Islam in France and the Netherlands.” The head of the Grand Mosque of Paris, Dalil Boubakeur, has called for the amount of mosques in the France to be reached –to 4,000 –to take care of developing demand.

By difference, the Roman Catholic Church has manufactured just 20 new houses of worship in France throughout the previous decade and has formally shut more than 60, a significant number of which are ordained to come to be mosques, consistent with exploration directed by La Croix, a Roman Catholic daily paper based in Paris.

In the meantime, the Socialist government in France as of late introduced another mega-mosque in Paris as a first stage towards “dynamically raising a French Islam.”

Each year in the estimated 150 Muslim conversion ceremonies are performed in the snow-white structure of the Sahaba mosque in Créteil, with its mind boggling mosaics and a shocking 81-foot minaret, inherent 2008 and an image of Islam’s developing vicinity in France. Around those who come here for Friday Prayer are various young previous Roman Catholics, wearing the accepted Muslim cap and long robe.

While the number of converts remains moderately minor in France, yearly transformations to Islam have multiplied in the previous 25 years, experts say, showing a developing test for France, where government and open mentality to Islam are awkward, and now and again threatening.

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Air France is found guilty of discrimination and debarring a pro-Palestinian activist from the flight because she was not of Jewish origin.

The airline was ordered by the court to shred a sum of € 13,000  as fines for causing damages to the reputation of the appellant, a 30 year old nursing student.

This incident took place when Horia Ankour was going to join with other hooligans gathering for the “flytilla” campaign at Tel Aviv taking place in April. A number of pro-Palestinian campaigners were landing in Israel to accumulate at the West Bank for protests.

However Air France has made an excuse “she was on the objectionable person’s list handed by Israel that is why we assisted to debar her from the airplane”. Flytilla campaign in Israel at the west bank made the Israel government release such list to stop the entry of activists to their land. Israel is the only way to reach the West Bank because of the unavailability of the airport for the Palestinian people.

In late April, she was taking the Air France flight to make up to the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv for the ongoing Israeli campaign, that was organised by various organizations of civil society, for the issues concerned with the cross border policies and the foreign occupation permits. The Palestinian people all over the world were welcomed for this camaraderie revolt furnished by locals.

After the flight boarded, Ms Ankour was interrogated by an employee of Air France. He asked about her passport if it is of Israel or Jewish. The lady nodded for the two questions. After that, she was accompanied to get off the plane.

The verdict given by the French judiciaries included the charges of racism. In defence, Air France officials presented the point that at the last moment, they come to know that Ms Ankour is on the Israel Blacklist. They further added that they were abiding international rule of refusing their transport services for passengers who are suspected to get entry at the entrance point by the airlines.

After the verdict, this was cleared by the Air France officials that they will look further for higher judicial authorities. The reports from BBC reporter Hugh Schofield have revealed that the French associates were going through the law, but the inspection about the native origin proved as the fault in the proceedings. It became strong point for Ms Ankour and made her win the case with ease. The debarring of a passenger from the flight was wrong after questioning about their race resulted in such blame on the Air France Company.

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I am a nice, understanding, caring, sincere, honest, trustworthy, friendly single male from Delhi, India. I'm an experienced writer. I have written many articles in different niches, a fiction book, and some poems.

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Islam is a growing religion in Europe especially France. Of the 15 million Muslims population in entire Europe, 5 million (over 30%) live in France, a demographic reality that the French people find it difficult to deal with. There are countless discussions, every now and then, on various forums citing Muslims as an “issue” or a “problem”. The famous notion of “clash of Civilizations” is especially applicable to Islam according to the western version. They equate Islam with terror and violence.

Muslims have always been considered a ‘threat’ and a ‘problem’ by the French people. Recently, the issue of the French ban on hijab stirred a lot of controversy and confusion across the globe. Another issue is the construction of mosques and loud call for prayer which is considered one of the greatest examples of the “clash of civilizations” by the French citizens. As of now, only five mosques stand in France for the entire five million Mulims, who live in Paris, Mantes la Jolie, Evry, Lille, and Lyon. The French citizens strongly put hurdles in efforts to build more. While the town mayors routinely and regularly ignore petitions to construct more mosques. To live peacefully in the country, the Muslims are pressurized to merge and defuse their identity.

France is as secular country as it can be. They applied the rule of “distance between church and state” in 1905 by banning any kind of ostentatious display of religious symbols in public schools. Although this was promulgated initially to root out the Catholic Christians, same law is now applicable to Muslims. The infamous Act “banning the veil in public space” is a clear proof of what they actually want. It is not just the government but society and white French people generally sneer at religion, and give such disturbing looks towards covered Muslim women suspecting them as a sign of violence. The underlying principle behind these laws and attitude is the historical commitment to secularism in France.

Second and third generation of Muslims suffer from an identity crisis. In France, they are immigrants, facing discrimination and unemployment, and in their ‘home’ country they are bound to live as foreigners. The Muslim population is alienated and excluded in all sorts, be it finding work, house to live or social mingling. The largest numbers of immigrants are living in areas which are ‘zones of economic and social exclusion” and have become synonymous with immigrants, extremism, rigidity and violence.

The tension between Muslims and the other French citizens is rising, and there is no effective steps being taken at the governmental level to stop this go. The recent issue of the ban on headscarf has increased the rift. Muslims are being oppressed to live according to their religion; are deprived of their due share of peaceful living and working conditions. The future of France and the Muslims in France hangs on the balance of whether the French people will allow Muslims to become a part of them. Islam is a reality; its here and Muslims should be recognized as a definite religious minority with rights and identity. It’s time for France to represent its love for human rights by taking away such unnecessary impositions, and barriers that are impeding the Muslim ideology.

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Cela fait bien des années que nous voyons des manifestations se rapportant au port du Hijab pour les Musulmanes dans les journaux en France. Le président Français Jacques Chirac faisait parti de ceux qui ont demandé au parlement Français de passer une loi sur l’interdiction du Hijab. Il est bien juste pour les femmes Musulmanes de manifester car le port du Hijab est leur droit légal. Le port du Hijab fait partie intégrante de l’Islam, tel qu’il a été ordonné dans le Saint Coran. Ceux qui attaquent le port du Hijab et l’ont interdit, ont d’une certaine manière attaqué l’Islam, la grogne à ce sujet est donc compréhensible.

Il y a de nombreuses personnes qui pensent que le port du Hijab prive les femmes de leur liberté. Même le gouvernement Français, lorsqu’il a interdit le port du Hijab, affirmait que les femmes étaient obligées par leurs maris de porter le Hijab et que par conséquent cette loi leur a rendu la liberté. Tout ceci n’est rien qu’un manque de compréhension de l’Islam. Les femmes portent le Hijab en accord avec les commandements du Coran et non sous la pression de leurs maris.

Les femmes Musulmanes en France n’étaient pas forcées de porter le Hijab, elles le faisaient de leur plein gré, donc elles ont commencé à se manifester. Une femme non-Musulmane en France demanderai à une femme Musulmane sur le port du Hijab, ce qu’elle ferait si son mari lui permettait de découvrir la tête. Les femmes non-Musulmanes pensaient que c’est par la peur de leurs conjoints que les femmes Musulmanes portent le Hijab, elles attendaient donc qu’une telle chose pourrait ravir une Musulmane. Elle est étonnée d’apprendre la réponse de la femme musulmane qui disait qu’elle divorcerait de son mari car les commandements de l’Islam impliquent le port du Hijab, et qu’elle se doit de les respecter. Les femmes Musulmanes doivent faire face à de nombreux problèmes en portant le Hijab, car elles ne sont pas autorisées à le porter en place publique. Les filles Musulmanes ne doivent pas porter le Hijab dans les écoles et établissements publics. Pareillement, les femmes portant le Hijab ne peuvent pas travailler dans les banques de l’Etat, les écoles publics et les bureaux.

Toutefois, de nombreuses personnes y pensent de manière positive, en disant que le gouvernement Français a rendu aux femmes leur liberté. Ils prennent ceci comme une forme de liberté et qu’il n’y aura pas de discrimination religieuse, ceci permettrait aux Musulmans, Juifs et Chrétiens d’avoir la même apparence lorsqu’ils travaillent ensemble. Ils disent que les nones ne seront pas autorisées à porter leurs habits en place publique, et il en est de même pour les Juifs. Personne n’est autorisé à porter des vêtements religieux, afin d’ôter les barrières religieuses. L’Islam n’est pas qu’une simple croyance religieuse, c’est une mode de vie qui s’applique à la vie pratique. Il s’applique à ce que que vous portez, ce que vous faites, et comment vous vous comportez avec les gens. L’Islam est une religion complète qui apprend à ses adeptes la conduite et le comportement qu’ils doivent avoir, et comment vivre leurs vies.

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It was a few years back when we found a lot of protests in the newspapers regarding the ban on wearing Hijab by Muslim women in France. The French President Jacques Chirac was the one who ordered the parliament in France to pass the law of Hijab banning. It was completely the right for the Muslim women to protest as Hijab is the legal right of every woman. It is one of the teachings of Islam, and thus as many people think, it is not against the freedom and liberty of Muslims. Hijab is an important part of Islam as there are orders of Hijab in the Holy Quran. Those who attacked Hijab and banned it, actually attacked Islam, so who can stay silent in such a case.

There are many people who think that wearing Hijab takes away the liberty of women. Even the French government, when it banned Hijab, said that women were being forced into Hijab by their husbands, and thus, this law gave them freedom. This was nothing but a result of lack of understanding the true Islam. Women wear Hijab as obedience to the commands of Quran, instead of doing it forced by their husband’s commandments.

Muslim Women in France were not forced to wear Hijab, they did it happily so they started protesting. A non-Muslim woman in France asked a Muslim woman, wearing hijab, what she would do if her husband allowed her to uncover her head. This non-Muslim woman thought that the Muslim woman was doing it because of her husband and she expected her to show signs of happiness. The Muslim woman instead, replied that she would divorce her husband because wearing hijab was the commandment of Islam, and it must be followed. Muslim women had to face a lot of problems wearing Hijab as they were not allowed to wear it in public places. Muslim girls would not wear Hijab in state owned schools and colleges. Similarly, Hijab-wearing women could not work in state banks and state schools or offices.

However, some people think of it positively, saying that the French government gave women freedom. They say that it is a form of freedom for everyone as there would be no religious discrimination, it allows Muslims, Jews, and Christians to look the same when working together. They said that nuns were not allowed to wear their dresses in public area either, and same went for Jews. No one was allowed to wear any religious dress to remove religious barriers. However, Hijab is something that is made compulsory on women, and it is a teaching of Islam. Islam is not just about believing spiritually, rather it is a complete code of life, and it is about practical life. It affects what you wear, what you do, and how you deal with people. Islam is a complete religion that tells you the whole conduct and behavior that you need to keep, and how you need to spend your life.

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I love to write creative articles. I have been writing on different social and religious topics for 2 years now. Give me a creative topic and I will write it for you.

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A school in the village of Arveyres in the Gironde region of south west France has declared that from this month onwards, it would no longer offer meat alternatives to children who did not eat pork. This decision was brought about after the mayor of Arveyres, Benoit Gheysen, made a statement to AFP that the cost of providing alternative meals was expensive and yet most of the food was going to waste. He said that many times the children who did not take the substitute diner complained as well and left the pork, leaving the staff distressed on the amount of food going to waste.

The mayor has however, vowed that the children would get all the protein they needed because vegetables, lentils and salads would be offered whenever pork was on the menu. He also believes that the school in Arveyres is not the only one in France that is facing the same dilemma; he added that pork was served no more than once a week.

Since pork is forbidden under Jewish and Muslim dietary laws, some parents have offered to pack for their children lunch from home. This gesture has however, been brushed away by the mayor who says that it would be logistically hard to implement and ethically shocking.

There will be 30 children out of 180 who will face the effects of this change.

In France, the issue of halal meat is often a controversial topic which has been used as a political football especially with approaching elections.

Before last year’s presidential elections, Marine Le Pen, the leader of the anti-immigration National Front party launched a row when she claimed that all meat from abattoirs in the region of Paris was prepared using Islamic halal traditions hence misleading non-Muslim consumers in the capital.

Wading into the war, former president Nicolas Sarkorzy suggested that meat would be labeled to tell consumers how the animal was slaughtered, but the Muslims and Jews rejected the idea fearing it would lead to their being stigmatized.

At that time, Claude Gueant, former Interior Minister under Sarkozy said that halal meat was one reason why the government opposed Francois Hollande’s plan to give foreign residents the vote in French local elections. He said that as an example we don’t want foreign local councilors making halal meat obligatory in school canteens. Hitting back however, the French Council of Muslim Faith slammed what it said was the use of Muslims as scapegoats in the election campaign.

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Alleging defamation, France's interior minister Manuel Valls is trying to shut down a website which gives a voice to the victims of police harassment. The site has become especially popular with France's Muslim population, who often claim that police target, harass and even kill them with impunity.

Statistics prove that non-whites justifiably feel under attack: Researchers say that Arabs and black Muslims compose up to 70 percent of France's prisoners.

For years groups such as Amnesty International and the UN Human Rights Committee have testified to racist practices among the French police, but many say nothing has changed. Allegations of abuse are routinely dismissed as the French police are supported by their unions, far-right political groups and now the Socialist administration.

Amal Bentounsi started the website last year, after her brother was reportedly shot in the back by a policeman. The case is ongoing, but she says her site provides a voice for the many victims whose experiences are never heard in a courtroom.

While agreeing that government action is needed, Bentounsi believes it's the French media which needs the most urgent reform. She says they need to acknowledge their role in legitimizing the Islamophobia which has especially stigmatized young Muslim males.

Many Muslims say that French society has two sets of rules: One for the police, and another for regular citizens; one form of justice for whites, and another for Muslims and immigrants. For those who are 2nd and even 3rd generation French citizens, such inequalities are especially dispiriting.

Press TV, 6 March 2013

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The Collectif contre l'Islamophobie en France reports that in addition to those at Ozoir-La-Ferrière and Besançon, a fourth mosque was the target of an Islamophobic act this weekend: at Meximieux in eastern France. On Saturday mosque officials found an envelope containing slices of ham in the mailbox. When they went to the police station to lodge a complaint, officers refused to register it on the grounds that the letter only contained pork and was not accompanied by a letter with insults or threats.

Hamza Dziri, one of the mosque officials, contacted the CCIF. He was distraught, as this is not the first time acts of hatred have been directed against the mosque. While it was under construction he found stickers on the walls, windows and site gates featuring swastikas and tricolor flags and bearing the name of a mysterious organisation of "patriots".

In January 2012 vandals broke a window and damaged the scaffolding. After that the site was placed under guard by members of the mosque and fifteen days later two vandals had returned, throwing stones at the glass door and breaking it. They escaped by car, but the guard was able to identify the registration number, which enabled the police to arrest the perpetrators. The vandals received suspended prison sentences and had to pay compensation.

With such a history, the CCIF observes, it is not surprising that Hamza Dziri says he is "worried".

The protection of places of worship should not be left solely to the faithful, the CCIF says. Following antisemitic attacks in France, schools and synagogues have been placed under police surveillance. The CCIF concludes: "In the current situation where mosques are the target of Islamophobic acts every week, the competent authorities must urgently put in place a security plan for Muslim places of worship."

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The U.S. has recently poured criticism on France and Belgium regarding the ban on face covering or veil. According to United States report this ban will further deteriorate problems between Muslims and the non-Muslims. The U.S. report signified that they must allow freedom of religion across the globe. Believers of all religious backgrounds must be allowed to live according to their principles and teachings.

The report described the International freedom of religious rights, Article 18, Universal Declaration of Human Rights

“To think, believe, or doubt. To speak or pray; to gather or stand apart. Such are the movements of the mind and heart, infinitives that take us beyond the finite. Freedom of religion, like all freedoms of thought and expression, is inherent. Our beliefs help define who we are and serve as a foundation for what we contribute to our society. However, as the 2011 International Religious Freedom Report documents, too many people live under governments that abuse or restrict freedom of religion. People awaken, work, suffer, celebrate, raise children, and mourn unable to follow the dictates of their faith or conscience. Yet, under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, governments have committed to respect freedom of religion.”

As President Barack Obama said, they ought to, “bear witness and speak out” when violations of religious freedom occur.

The laws which have been enforced in France cancelled the wearing of a scarf covering the face, according to the authorities, they fail to recognize people. This major ban is due to the security threats as many people take advantage of wearing “Niqab” and can harm the security.

The ban on Muslim women which stopped them wearing face coverings is creating further disturbances in the country; most women face hostile attitudes. They face an every day difficulty to move around and are chased by non-Muslims. People consider them extremists who are roaming around to threaten the security of the region.

The U.S., in its report, explained that this will create turbulence amongst the communities. The world has already been drilled with terrorism and this law can further affect the peace miserably. The report also mentioned that in Pakistan often the minorities face problems reading the worshiping of their religions. The country has been divided into several sections. The extremism is haunting the minds and hearts of the people.

In Europe, there are many sentiments against the Muslims that are already on the rise. The fear of terrorism has segregated the two distinct communities. Muslims fail to integrate with members of other communities. Muslims are being considered hostile. Fairly speaking, the activities of Muslims related to terrorism in certain parts of the world including Europe have created gaps between Muslims and the other communities. And according to the United States report, if France and Belgium will impose bans related to religion practices then they will further provoke Muslims. This can be a major threat to the security and peace of Europe.

Also, believers of all communities must be allowed to practice what they believe freely and no law should ban them from doing it so.

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La France est entre autre l’un des pays ou l’on puisse parler de pluralité religieuse ou l’on peut sainement parler de la liberté de religion ou de la conviction de son choix. L’émergence progressive de l’islam en France et son affirmation dans l’environnement quotidien  ont fait de celle-ci ; la deuxième religion en France.la laïcité étant le propre de la France permet a des personnes de différents milieux culturels et religieux de cohabiter et d’échanger ensemble. Aujourd’hui, la religion en France est un grand sujet dans la culture contemporaine. Les attitudes des Français à propos de l’intégrisme, l’église organisée, et la laïcité sont très complexes, et la relation entre la religion et l’État est exceptionnelle. Aujourd’hui, on trouve une diversité énorme en France, avec les minorités les plus grandes des juifs, musulmans, et bouddhistes de toute l’Europe. Ce fait donne une richesse culturelle importante à la société moderne. Mais en même temps, cette diversité crée de nouveaux problèmes pour l’intégration des cultes divers dans un état laïc qui promet « liberté, égalité, et fraternité » à tous les citoyens. Cependant, la plupart des Français ne se considèrent pas religieux. La France est considérée un des pays les moins religieux dans le monde. Par contre, pour les Français croyants, la religion est à la vie et à la culture. En ce qui concerne l’islam, les maitres mots sont : altérité et réalité. Maintenant, c’est estimé qu’il y a 5 millions musulmans en France.  Ces musulmans sont très importants à la culture et à la société française.  Cependant, il existe un air d’altérité de l’islam ; les Français non musulmans regardent l’islam d’une distance.  L’islam est perçue comme ce qui est autre, comme étrange, principalement à cause de trois problèmes : de la nature de formation des imams, du manque de lieux de prière, et de voiles islamiques.  En réalité, pourtant, bien que l’islam soit assez opposé à la francité traditionnelle catholique, il est une réalité forte qui devient enraciné dans le tissu social français. L’islam à toujours prôné la coexistence pacifique des religions.  L’Islam appelle à l’unité des croyants notamment des Gens du Livre et ceci malgré tous les écrits visant à diaboliser l’Islam, le tiers exclu de la Révolution abrahamique. Afin de comprendre et d’apprécier cette tolérance, on doit la remettre dans son contexte, à l’époque où l’islam était un État officiel, avec des lois spécifiques établies par le Prophète et conformes aux principes de la religion. Il existe de nombreux exemples, au cours des treize années de sa mission qu’il a passées à la Mecque, où le Prophète a fait preuve de tolérance. Comme certains pourraient croire qu’il cherchait par là à améliorer l’image des musulmans et le statut social de l’islam en général,

La laïcité est indispensable en France puisqu’elle assure une paix sociale qui, autrement, ne serait pas possible dans la vie publique. En même temps, la laïcité promet que tout le monde peut pratiquer leurs propres croyances religieuses en privée. De cette manière, les citoyens français évitent les tensions entre leurs communautés en public et protègent leurs intérêts privés chez eux.

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Fear and loathing in France

Labour Briefing, November 2012

Richard Price reports on a rising tide of Islamophobia in France: stoked by mainstream politicians and translated into discrimination and violence in everyday life

THE 6.4 million votes cast for Marine Le Pen in the French presidential election in April, and the efforts of Nicolas Sarkozy to outbid her, showed that Islamophobia has become mainstream in French politics. As the French economy continues to bump along the bottom, France's five million Muslims are being systematically targeted as scapegoats.

Scarcely a week passes without a leading politician addressing the "problem" of France's Muslims, whether it's the veil, halal meat, the failure to integrate or the construction of mosques. On 27th September, Interior Minister Manuel Valls used the inauguration of a mosque to lecture those present on the dangers of Islamism, warning that those who challenged the Republic's principles would be expelled from France. This followed the publication of cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammed in Charlie Hebdo magazine and the banning of Muslim protest marches.

Jean-François Copé, General Secretary of the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP), is a candidate in the race to succeed Sarkozy as president of the party. In early October, he launched an attack on "Muslim thugs" who he claimed were enforcing the Ramadan fast: "I can understand the exasperation of some of our compatriots when there are some neighbourhoods where a mother or father will come home from work in the evening to learn their son has had his pain au chocolat snatched out of his hand by thugs, telling him it is forbidden to eat during Ramadan."

While the political class is creating the intellectual climate, far right extremists are translating it into attacks on mosques, cemeteries and halal butchers. The effects on public opinion are striking. On 25th October (just before the Eid festival), right-wing daily Le Figaro published the results of an opinion poll suggesting that:

• 43% believe that Islam is a threat to national identity;
• only 17% believe Islam enriches France's culture;
• 43% are opposed to the construction of mosques;
• 63% are opposed to the wearing of the veil or headscarf in public;
• of the two thirds who think that French Muslims are not well integrated into French society, 68% blame this on Muslims' "refusal to integrate".

This growing fear of the Muslim "other" comes at a time when racist provocations against Muslims are almost a daily occurrence.

During August, two pigs' heads were hung on the pillars outside a mosque in Montauban; the rector of the Great Mosque in Lyon received a letter containing death threats; and a prayer room rented by the Moroccan community in Barp in south-west France was defaced with racist graffiti and swastikas.

In September a halal butchers in Chalon-sur-Saône in eastern France was daubed with racist graffiti; a mosque in Limoges (which had been daubed with neo-Nazi graffiti in July) was smeared with excrement; racist and Islamophobic graffiti was sprayed on two mosques at Epône in north-central France; a swastika and Celtic cross were sprayed on the entrance to a mosque at Agen, in south-western France; there was an arson attack on a mosque at Condé-sur-l'Escaut in northern France; a mosque at Vandœuvre in north-eastern France was daubed with graffiti that appeared to be ultra-Zionist in origin; far-right stickers were stuck on the walls of a mosque in the Toulouse suburb Muret.

During October a halal butchers shop was sprayed with Nazi graffiti in Saint-Germain-en-Laye in north-central France, where the council last year blocked plans to build an Islamic cultural centre; in Marseille planning permission for a mosque was withdrawn after a campaign by the Front National; a halal butchers in the Les Minimes area of Toulouse was gutted by an arson attack; the home of an Algerian family at Pont-du-Chateau in the Auvergne was covered in Nazi graffiti.

The spate of attacks on mosques climaxed on 20th October when about 70 members of a far right youth group, Generation Identity, stormed a newly built mosque in Poitiers. They climbed on to the roof and unfurled a banner with the words "732 Generation Identity" – a reference to the Battle of Tours in 732, when Charles Martel halted the advance of an invading Moorish army.

Yet in spite of such sustained racism, leading politicians insist that the main danger to French society comes from Islamist terrorism, and President François Hollande has promised new anti-terror laws. In the present climate and faced with very high levels of unemployment, it would be surprising if at least some alienated Muslim youth didn't turn to Islamist groups. Events such as Mohamed Merah's shooting of four people in Toulouse and Montauban in March and a grenade attack on a Jewish kosher supermarket in the Paris suburb of Sarcelles in September have thankfully remained isolated.

The vast majority of French Muslims remain committed to legal forms of struggle. Following the events in Poitiers, the Union of Muslims in France called on the Government to intervene: "We want the authorities to take action to deal with this increasing climate of Islamophobia. This form of xenophobia threatens the very values of the French republic." Analysis of Muslim voters has shown that they voted overwhelmingly for the left in the presidential election. In the first round 59% voted for François Hollande and 23% voted for the Left Front's Jean-Luc Mélenchon, while in the second round 93% voted for Hollande.

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The role of Islam in France was once again under the spotlight on Thursday after right-wing daily Le Figaro published the results of an opinion poll that suggested 43 percent of French people believe the religion is a "threat" to national identity.

Six out of ten French people believe the influence of Islam in France is "too big" and 43 percent see the religion as a "threat" to national identity, according to the results of an opinion poll published on Thursday.

The sensitive poll, which will likely cause ripples in a country home to Europe's largest Muslim population, was carried out by Ifop polling institute for Le Figaro, which published the results under the headline "The image of Islam worsens in France".

Only 17 percent of respondents believed Islam "enriched" France's culture and 40 percent said it was neither a threat to the country's national identity nor of benefit to its culture.

Le Figaro's survey reveals French opinion towards particular elements of the Islamic religion is also hardening, with 43 percent of people questioned saying they were opposed to the construction of mosques compared to 39 percent two years ago.

The number of respondents opposed to the wearing of the Islamic veil or headscarf in public has also risen also risen from 59 percent in 2010 to 63 percent.

Two thirds of people surveyed said they thought French Muslims and people of Muslim origin were not well integrated into French society. Among them, 68 percent blamed this lack of integration on Muslims' "refusal to integrate", while roughly half said they believed it was a result of "insurmountable cultural differences".

France 24, 25 October 2012

See also Reuters, 25 October 2012

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Nazi graffiti on the doors of Limoges mosqueA Muslim leader called Wednesday for surveillance cameras to be installed at every mosque in France following the latest in a series of attacks on Islamic places of worship.

A mosque in Limoges in the centre of the country had excrement smeared on its doors overnight in an incident that reflects a growing trend, according to Abdallah Zekri, who chairs an Islamophobia Observatory set up by France's Muslim Council.

"It is time that town councils took this problem seriously and started putting cameras in front of mosques, as is already the case for synagogues," Zekri said.

Local police said the mosque doors had been daubed with neo-Nazi graffiti at the end of July. They also said it was possible the attack was random, as a local restaurant unconnected to the Muslim community was subject to a similar attack earlier this month.

Unlike many mosques in France, the Limoges centre is immediately recognisable as an Islamic place of worship because of its minaret.

"This attack is a grave assault on the dignity of Muslims and is shocking for every citizen who upholds the values of respect and tolerance," Interior Minister Manuel Valls said in a statement.

The incident in Limoges came a month after two pig heads were deposited at the entrance of a mosque in Montauban in the south of the country.

AFP, 12 September 2012

"Possible the attack was random"? The graffiti on the kebab restaurant included a pig's head and the clear assumption behind the attack was that the business was run by Muslims. The graffiti was signed with the initials NRF (presumably a reference to some obscure neo-Nazi group), which were also found on a bridge in Limoges along with the same Odal runes that were sprayed on the doors of the mosque. Who's in charge of the police investigation in Limoges – Inspector Clouseau?

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Hijab is the beauty of a Muslim woman. In Islam it is respectable for women to cover their head and body, so that no one can see her hairs and body shape. Wearing Hijab is the common practice by Muslim women but nowadays there is another issue coming in the notice and that issue is Hijab conflict in France. In France, a new legislation has been passed in which they banned the Hijab and all other religious clothing wearing by Muslim women in state schools. According to them, France has placed an stressed on secularism in present society and this outlaw will help to avoid the division of society into an ethnic group of people and encourage integration into French civilization.

This law is directly focusing the Muslim women Hijab and it is actually violating the international laws, which gives the rights to freedom of religion and expression. The hijab conflict in France is actually discriminating the Muslims and this discrimination came into existence after 9/11 because after that incident, the thinking of non-Muslims become changed about Islam and Muslims because they consider Muslims as terrorist and hate them. Such kind of law in France is another proof of hatred of Non-Muslims with Islam and their religious clothing.

It is the view of some people that this law is only enforcing in the schools so it may not have that much impact but it is totally wrong. Children learn things from the schools; it is the age in which each and every thing remains in the mind forever. If children are not allowed to wear Hijab in schools then obviously they would not wear Hijab in the future. They are actually targeting the younger generation to keep them away from Islam. In the other sense it is another way to keep Muslim women away from the education because those who would not be able to leave Hijab would prefer to stay at home and will not go to schools.

Hijab conflict in France breaks the heart of Muslims women because they consider that Hijab is like a covering, they feel their selves protected while wearing Hijab as well as it keep their selves shielded from the looks of the men and strangers but after this law has been passed, some girls have decided not to wear Hijab and some decided to stay at home.

Non-Muslims women are allowed to wear whatever they want; they can choose their own style of clothing because their dressing focuses on the revealing of their body parts not covering. But Muslims women are restricted to choose their style of clothing because the actual purpose of their clothing is to cover their selves and shield their selves. Such kind of laws should not be passed in any country because it stops people to practice their religion. Hijab conflict in France has already stopped many Muslim girls getting educated. Non-Muslims should think that Hijab is not an oppressive thing but a respectable thing and needs to be respected as well as everyone should give equal chance of practicing their own religion.

 

About the author

Jawad Ahmad

I am 24 years old and i have done Masters in Business Administration (Finance) from a recognized university.
Right now i am doing freelancing and writing articles on different projects.

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MARSEILLE, France — Though it was almost midnight, streets were full of Muslim families taking a stroll after breaking the Ramadan fast with a late dinner. As two police officers drove by a storefront recycled as the Grand Sunna Mosque, they noticed a woman wearing flowing black robes and a full-face veil.

The police officers alighted from their patrol car and challenged the woman about her veil, which has been illegal in France since April 2011. After an angry exchange, police said later, the woman shouted that she would not abide by the anti-veil law, and a youth told police that they had no business patrolling the neighborhood and accosting its predominantly Muslim residents.

The confrontation quickly escalated into a shoving match, with several dozen young bystanders joining in and carloads of police reinforcements speeding up to lend a hand. Before long, it erupted into what was described in the National Assembly in Paris as a riot, during which a female police officer was bitten on the arm and two of her male colleagues were bashed and bruised.

The sudden clash, which took place July 24 in Marseille, was the most serious instance of resistance to the veil ban during its 16 months of enforcement, according to police. Although it subsided almost as quickly as it flared, the outburst focused national attention on simmering resentment over the ban among France’s most militant and tradition-minded Muslims.

Washington Post, 9 August 2012

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