Six French teenagers convicted in connection with 2020 beheading of teacher Paty
Paris, FranceReuters A French court on Friday convicted six teenagers in connection with the 2020 beheading of history teacher Samuel Paty, whose murder shocked the country. The teacher had shown his pupils caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad in a class on freedom of expression, angering some Muslim parents. Most Muslims avoid depictions of prophets, considering […]
France passes anti-radicalism bill that worries Muslims
Paris, FranceAP Lawmakers in the French parliament’s lower house on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a bill that would strengthen oversight of mosques, schools and sports clubs to safeguard France from radical Islamists and to promote respect for French values – one of President Emmanuel Macron’s landmark projects. After two weeks of intense debate, the vote in […]
Protesters say French anti-radicalism law is anti-Muslim
Paris, FranceAP Activists rallied Sunday in Paris to demand that the French government abandon a bill aimed at rooting out Islamist extremism that the protesters say could trample on religious freedom and make all Muslims into potential suspects. French lawmakers hold a key vote Tuesday on the draft law, which is expected to win approval […]
France unveils draft law to fight Islamist radicalism
Paris, FranceAP The French Government unveiled a draft law Wednesday aimed at better arming France against Islamist radicalism, a project promoted by President Emmanuel Macron to root out what he calls “separatists” undermining the nation. France has suffered numerous Islamist terrorist attacks, including the gruesome beheading of a teacher in October who had showed his […]
Horrified by deadly attacks, French Muslims protect church
Paris, FranceAP As a French-born Muslim, Elyazid Benferhat’s stomach turned when he heard about a deadly Islamic extremist attack on a church in Nice. Then he decided to act. A self-described man of peace and pragmatism, Benferhat and a friend gathered a group of young Muslim men to stand guard outside their town’s cathedral for […]
France says stop boycott calls; Erdogan ups Macron insults
Paris, FranceAP French authorities denounced Turkish “propaganda” against France that they said was aimed at fanning hate at home and abroad, and asked Sunday that calls to boycott French products cease immediately, saying such attacks were the work of a “radical minority”. Meanwhile, the President of Turkey took a second insulting swipe at French President […]
French premier joins nationwide tributes to beheaded teacher
Paris, FranceAP France’s Prime Minister joined demonstrators on Sunday who rallied together across the country in tribute to a history teacher who was beheaded near Paris after discussing caricatures of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad with his class. The demonstrations came hours after US President Donald Trump sent France a message of solidarity in the wake of […]