“Pray at home”: French Muslims facing corona-virus pandemic

As Europe is now the epicentre of the coronavirus, France is amongst top three European countries struck by the global pandemic. Monday 16th of March in the evening, French President Emmanuel Macron made a public allocution on TV in which he repeated six times: “we are at war” (with the virus). He then listed several public…

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President Macron announces his plan to fight “ Islamist separatism”

On February 18, French President Emmanuel Macron held his first speech aiming at fighting “separatism” in France. Announced a few months ago, this one and an half hour discourse  finally took place on the eve of municipal elections during a visit of the President in Mulhouse, a 15 000 inhabitants city in east France. The choice…

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The “Mila” controversy in France: the “right to blasphemy” versus protection of religious freedom

On January 18, Mila, a 16 years old teenager  attacked Islam in reaction to insults she  received on her Instagram  account, opening a major debate in French society on the « right to blasphemy ». Originating from the  Lyon’s region, Mila was criticized online “in the name of Allah” because of her sexual orientation, which  led her…

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Head of French Islam representative bodies: between novelties and continuity

In January, major changes occurred in central institutions in charge of the official representation of French Islam. Firstly, the rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris [La Grande Mosquéede Paris], Dalil Boubakeur, unexpectedly resigned after a 28 years mandate, invoking personal reasons.  Chems-eddine Hafiz, was appointed  his successor few days later. Under Algerian influence, the…

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The closure of an Islamic Institute in Paris’s region

More than one month ago (the 26thof November), the IESH (the European Institute of Human Sciences) [Institut Européen des Sciences Humaines] has been forced to close its doors for preventive security measures under the order of the prefecture. The institute, located in Saint-Denis near from Paris, which was created in 2001, is an emblematic centre…

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