CAGE: Islamophobia - integral part of French domestic, foreign policy

Islamophobia is an integral part of French domestic and foreign policy.

As part of its post-colonial diplomatic strategy towards the Arab countries, France has consistently supported a two-state solution to the conflict in the Middle East and condemned Israel, Report informs citing the monthly report of UK’s CAGE independent human rights organisation for November.

Now foreign and domestic policy is characterised by ardent Islamophobia.

Frankly speaking, the reason was to “fight for the hearts and minds” of Muslims and try to convince them of France's supposed favourable attitude towards them and their political development, rather than to resolve the conflict in the Middle East, the report says.

The French authorities have abandoned even such ostentatious actions.

“As a result of the revision of its post-colonial ‘Arab policy’, France radically changed its position. Currently, the country actively supports Israel,” CAGE says, noting that the decisions have caused widespread protest in society.

The independent human rights organisation also says that there are still Islamophobic trends in domestic politics.

Thus, the private Muslim Lycée-Collège Averroès in Lille has been experiencing harassment and can not receive an annual subsidy for several years. Moreover, it is one of the best secondary educational institutions in France, according to the country's national education data.

French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, recently seen as a potential successor to President Macron, has backed the recent decision of local far-right politicians to terminate the school's contract, threatening its future activity.

Another example mentioned in the report was threats against Muslims in Lyon after a young man was killed in a night brawl.

“As one of the suspects was Arab, the far right took to the streets to threaten Muslims in Lyon, without waiting for any evidence of racial motives for the murder,” the report states.