France
Scholars, Twitter community, express support for Leïla Slimani
A public letter signed by more than 100 French women that denounced the #MeToo movement has sparked debate over everything from the appropriate limits of flirtation to the extent to which the French should absorb American sexual norms. Among those who disagreed with the public letter was Leïla Slimani, a novelist who won the Prix Goncourt in 2016….
Religious leaders respond to Boubakeur’s Elysée absence
Several Muslim leaders have reacted to Dalil Boubakeur’s absence at the Elysée’s annual meeting with France’s religious leaders. “The message is clear,” said one of the Muslim community’s principal figures, “there is no longer special treatment for Dalil Boubakeur. The CFCM is indeed the privileged interlocutor.” Past CFCM presidents, including Mohammed Moussaoui, were invited. Abdallah…
Elysée responds to Dalil Boubakeur
Displeased that its rector Dalil Boubakeur was not invited to Emmanual Macron’s annual meeting with the country’s religious authorities, the Grand Mosque of Paris (GMP) announced its withdrawal from the French Council of the Muslim Faith. Dalil Boubakeur has served as the GMP’s rector for more than 25 years and has attended the event annually. “It is…
Doctor, fired from hospital for beard, loses in court
The request of a trainee doctor practicing at the Saint-Denis hospital center, fired in February 2014 because his beard was deemed “religiously ostentatious,” was rejected by the Administrative Appeal Court of Versailles in a decision issued December 19th. The court ruled that “growing a beard, even a long one, cannot alone constitute a sign of…
Daech ‘soldier’ Emilie König arrested in Syria, seeks repatriation
Emilie König, a 33 year old Breton known as “the most wanted woman in France,” had been the target of American and international security forces for several years. She has been arrested in Syria by Kurdish forces and is currently being held at a refugee camp. König was the first women to be added to…