Government & Politics

Dutch election: Far-right surge gives Geert Wilders late boost One poll puts the anti-Islam euroskeptic in joint first place ahead of Wednesday’s knife-edge vote.

(Politico) A sudden surge in support for far-right firebrand Geert Wilders has electrified the Dutch election as the campaign enters its final hours. Wilders’ anti-Islam and anti-EU Freedom Party (PVV) has been buoyed by last-minute gains, with one poll even putting the […]

Academics & Education

Killing of French teacher inflames tensions over security, immigration A string of violent attacks by foreigners over recent years has reignited the immigration debate in France.

(Politico) Just three days after an Islamist stabbed a French teacher to death, an already fierce discussion on immigration in France has become a lot more heated. The killing last Friday of Dominique Bernard, a high school teacher in Arras, has emotionally […]

Arts & Entertainment

Antisemitism accusations over rapper split France’s left A tweet by the rapper Médine is dividing parties in the hard left-Green Nupes coalition that currently leads in French polls.

(Politico) The left’s antisemitism problem has taken center-stage in France. The summer jamborees of the French Green party and the hard left were supposed to be opportunities to discuss climate change, wealth inequalities and next year’s European elections in a festive, holiday […]

Children & Teens

Mohammed tops the name list of arrested French rioters Despite French authorities denying the migrant background of many of the rioters, French police statistics show that the name Mohammed was the most common among those arrested during the rioting earlier this month.

(European Conservative) Over 2,300 people have been arrested in connection with the multiple-day riots that shook France earlier this month following the fatal shooting of a teen named Nahel in the Paris suburb of Nanterre. Many have speculated about a connection between […]

Clerics & Preachers

‘Imam of Peace’ calls on Arabs, Muslims to embrace Israel Hassen Chalghoumi strives to bring people together to fight antisemitism and Islamism, more specifically political Islam.

(JNS) Born in Tunisia in 1972, Hassen Chalghoumi received his undergraduate degree from a university in Damascus before studying theology in Pakistan. The father of five children, he arrived in 1996 in France, where he became the imam of the Drancy mosque […]

Government & Politics

French government calls UK advocacy group Cage ‘Islamist militants’ Anti-radicalisation body accuses organisation of supporting terrorists and seeking to smear France

(National-UAE) UK advocacy group Cage, which has a focus on Muslim detainees, has been labelled “Islamist militants” by the French government’s anti-radicalisation body. The Interministerial Committee for the Prevention of Delinquency and Radicalisation has published nine tweets accusing Cage, founded by former […]

Clothing

Marine Le Pen says French headscarf ban ‘no longer main priority’ The once key campaign proposal would now be addressed after other measures such as cutting off Islamist funding, and would reportedly not target regular headscarf wearers

(Connexion) Banning the Islamic headscarf is no longer a “major priority” for far-right presidential election candidate Marine Le Pen, a member of her team said yesterday, in a U-turn on previous campaign pledges. “Banning the headscarf” was one of Ms Le Pen’s […]