France is violating international laws and European treaties
Targeting a certain segment of the French society will turn France into a police state
The French authorities need to restructure its extremist regime and spread a culture of coexistence and tolerance
The European Union should not remain silent about these repressive crackdowns
Arab Organisation for Human Rights in UK (AOHR UK) condemned the French authorities’ announcement on launching a massive inspection campaign in mosques in France. The French Interior Minister described this as a huge campaign against separatism.
Since the criminal incident of October 16, 2020, the French government launched arrest campaigns of Muslims, closed more than 20 mosques and institutions, gave names for this campaign that is reminiscent of the eras of darkness and deepens the separatism in the French society, alienates Muslims and spreads hatred inside and outside France.
AOHR UK pointed out that the French government’s policies towards Arabs and Muslims are in line with the policies of the extreme right, which calls for the closure of mosques and the imposition of strict control on Muslims, which fuels hostility to Muslims and increases attacks on them.
The policy of the French government breaches all European Union charters and European Court decisions, as well as international laws which affirm the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the freedom to establish and practice religious rites, and form religious associations and institutions.
AOHR UK denounced the French government’s use of the criminal incident to punish more than six million Muslims, including students, doctors, teachers, engineers, and scientists in various fields, who play a major and influential role in French society, and all of whom have condemned this criminal act.
The French politicians overlooked all this to achieve their extremist agendas.
This systematic approach prepared in advance by French government, takes us many years back, when people were held accountable for their beliefs, and killed, exiled or arrested.
AOHR UK stressed that France needs to restructure its extremist and racial regime, spread a culture of tolerance and accept the other regardless of their race, religion or belief in accordance with the articles stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to abandon the extremist approach of the secular state.
AOHR UK called on the French authorities to deal equally with Muslims as they deal with the rest of the citizens in accordance with local and international laws and to abandon approaches of the Middle Ages and French colonial era, which resulted in the destruction of societies and agony of the peoples.
AOHR UK also called on the European Union not to remain silent regarding the violations of the French authorities against Muslims, since this is not an internal matter, but it fuels hatred throughout Europe, and threatens peace and societal security throughout the continent.
