France
The Death of Samuel Paty : Its Consequences for Laicite and for Islam
The awful decapitation on October 16th of Samuel Paty, a 47 years high school teacher, has created great emotion in French society. While the rallies to honor Samuel Paty seemed to unite the whole country and to bring out some important features of French values, e.g. the evocation of Camu’s debt to his teacher[1], the…
Machete Attack in Paris in Front of Charlie Hebdo Former Office
Friday September 25th, a man has stabbed two people in the city centre of Paris. The assailant was deliberately targeting the weekly French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, famous to have endured a terror attack five years ago when 12 members of the editorial office were killed and several others injured.[1]The aggressor seemingly ignored that Charlie Hebdo’s office…
Two Arson Attacks Against Mosques in Lyon Trigger a Debate on Religious Freedom versus Freedom of Speech
Two criminal fires targeting mosques in the Lyon urban area were reported. Fortunately, the damage remains material and there have been no human victims as both places were empty. However, such attacks contribute to create a climate of anxiety among French Muslims, who have denounced the lack of reaction from public authorities. During the night…
How the mandatory mask in the time of COVID19 makes Muslim women feel
Yasmin Bakkar, 26, is a practicing Muslim and a cover teacher in secondary schools across Leicester. Bakkar has worn the niqab [a face veil that covers everything but the eyes] since she was 14-years-old. Her choice to do so has been religiously important to her, but this has resulted in occasions where she has been…
The new France Minister of Interior: “My first name is Gerald, my second is Moussa”
French President Emmanuel Macron proceeded to a ministerial reshuffle last week and nominated Gérald Darmanin as the new Minister of Interior. It is important to note, that in the French political system, the Minister of the interior is in charge of the cults and religious affairs. The early days of Darmanin’s mandate have been marked…