France
French teacher admits to fabricating IS, is suspended
A French nursery school teacher admitted on Monday that he had fabricated a story about being attacked by a hooded man claiming to be acting on behalf of the Islamic State (IS) group, according to the local prosecutor’s office. The 45-year-old teacher was rushed to hospital with minor stab wounds to the side and throat…
Worried Muslim parents in France want their kids to dress less like Muslims
Some Muslim parents in Paris who are worried about discrimination have started asking their daughters to remove their religious headscarves in the wake of the deadly attacks on the French capital on Friday. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks that took place at a stadium, concert hall and eateries throughout Paris and…
Leading French body wants ‘license to preach’ for imams
France’s leading Muslim body said on Tuesday it would create a permit to preach for imams in a bid to root out extremists, as well as a new religious body to fight back against jihadist propaganda. Anouar Kbibech, president of the French Council for the Muslim Religion (CFCM), said the country’s imams should be given…
Speaking out in France at Friday prayers
One week after jihadists from Islamic State massacred 130 people in Paris, the French Council of the Muslim Faith took the unprecedented step of asking imams in 2,300 French mosques to read a text at Friday prayers condemning the attacks. An estimated one million Muslims attend Friday prayers in France. “We must never weary of…
Hollande’s hesitation on Muslim integration
On Jan. 17, 2015, roughly 10 days after the attacks by homegrown Islamic terrorists against Charlie Hebdo magazine and a kosher market, François Hollande went to Tulle, a town in central France, to talk to the folks. He told them, “Life goes on. The sales are on now, so go and buy. Nothing has to…