France to deport Moroccan Imam over anti-Semitic speech

On August 26, a French court decided to deport an imam to Morocco.

Hassan Iquioussen, who was born in France but held Moroccan citizenship, is accused of anti-Semitic hate speech.

Harassment of French Teen for Her Anti-Islam Video Leads to 6 Convictions

On May 24, 2022, another update in the many legal battles involving the French teenager known as Mila versus the many people who threatened her online because of videos she made speaking against Islam.

Debate Over "Burkini" Proposal Sparks Controversy in French City

After a two-and-a-half-hour debate, a French city has allowed the wearing of "burkinis," followed by a divisive vote.

Grenoble, a city in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France, has approved the controversial swim attire, with a slim margin of 29 versus 27, with two abstentions.

French Court Rejects Government Order to Forcibly Close Mosque

On April 26, France's highest administrative court rejected the Interior Ministry's appeal to continue closing down a mosque. The Conseil d'Etat, on Tuesday, dismissed an appeal that will challenge the previous suspension of a closure order.

The Interior Ministry has been shutting down mosques all over France, citing radicalization concerns.

France Bans Two Palestine Solidarity Groups

France has announced a plan to ban two Palestinian advocacy groups based in the country. Gerald Darmanin, France’s Minister of the Interior, on February 24 tweeted that he would disband Collectif Palestine Vaincra (Palestine Will Win) and Comité Palestine Action (Palestine Action Committee).

New French Law Bans LGBT “Conversion Therapy”

On January 25, the French National Assembly officially passed a new law that bans conversion therapy. The law was passed with an overwhelming 142 votes to 0.

French Senate Moves To Ban Hijab in Sports Competitions

By Abdulla Gaafarelkhalifa

On January 19, 2022, the French Senate voted in favor of banning religious veils in sporting events held by an official sports federation. The bill passed in a 160 to 143 vote with overwhelming support of the French right-wing party, Les Republicains.

France Closes Mosque For Radical Preaching

By Abdulla Gaafarelkhalifa

On December 28, 2021, a mosque in Beauvais, northern France, was ordered shut for six months for "inciting violence," according to France's Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. Since mid-December, Darmanin’s administration has been trying to close the mosque down, due to reports of sermons that use violent and hateful comments targeting Christians, Jews, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Pope Francis Calls Pre-Martial Sex "Not the Most Serious Sin"

On Monday, December 6, Pope Francis told reporters that “sins of the flesh are not the most serious.” The pope was taking questions from reporters aboard the papal plane during their flight from Cyprus and Greece back to Rome.

Council of Europe’s Hijab Campaign Faces Backlash

The Council of Europe (COE) pulled out ads for a campaign aimed at countering discrimination against European Muslim women who chose to wear head coverings. The Council of Europe is an inter-governmental human rights group with 47 member states. CoE also took down its Twitter post related to the campaign.