Commission urged to investigate France over treatment of Muslims

A global coalition of 25 civil society organisations and NGOs from 11 countries have submitted a letter to the President of the European Commission urging immediate action against France for its “state-sponsored Islamophobia,” and for imposing the “discriminatory and human rights-violating Imam’s Charter.” The complaint said that France has implemented numerous laws designed to limit […]

A global coalition of 25 civil society organisations and NGOs from 11 countries have submitted a letter to the President of the European Commission urging immediate action against France for its “state-sponsored Islamophobia,” and for imposing the “discriminatory and human rights-violating Imam’s Charter.”

The complaint said that France has implemented numerous laws designed to limit freedom of belief and punish the manifestation of religion.

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It also said that President Macron’s Imam’s Charter violates the religious, political and civil rights of France’s Muslim citizens because it infers that any politically active Muslim is a possible danger to society, thereby censoring the natural concerns of Muslims living in a globalised world.

Over the past few months, France has closed down the nation’s biggest anti-Islamophobia organisation as well as the country’s biggest Muslim charity. Paris has done this, it said, to fight extremism after a number of deadly “Islamist” attacks on its soil.

A few months ago state-approved French Muslim leaders signed a charter denouncing accusations of racism against France, and pledged to recognise “equality between men and women” and to combat “political Islam.”

The complaint letter to Ursula von der Leyen said: “Governmental leaders and politicians negatively and strongly influence public opinion.

In France, this trend has led to Muslim communities becoming  targets of increased hostility, more Islamophobia and increasing violence.