A coalition has come together in the National Assembly of members who wish to consider women who wear the burqa and the niqab in the French territory. 58 deputies (43 from President Sarkozy´s Union for a Popular Movement or UMP) from different parties signed a proposition put forward by André Gerin (Rhône) to create a…
Defense lawyers of a Muslim man accused of a hold-up claimed that their client was put into a “weak position” because he was fasting during the time of his trial and requested it be rescheduled. One of the man’s lawyers, Mr. Yann Choucq, said that his trial would fall 14 days into the fast which…
Arab and Muslim candidates fared poorly in the first round of French municipal elections, with only one elected to a local office and few others with opportunity in the second round of voting. Running on the Socialist slate, Samia Ghali won District 8 in Marseille, the country’s second largest city. Ghali became the first Muslim…
While the upcoming municipal elections in March are prompting candidates to court voters and support, many are making Muslims and mosques a major focus of their campaign – either supportive to attract Muslim supporters, or promising no increase in Islamic presence, drawing backing from rightist voters. The issue is major, as up for grabs are…
In an unprecedented event, this year’s meeting of the Union of Islamic Organizations of France was ignored by the five primary French Presidential candidates. The meeting is strategically scheduled the week before elections. Attendance is seen as a liability for the candidates; the UOIF is seen by many non-Muslim French as responsible for discomforting protest…
