Front Against Islamophobia
For equal rights for all
The Front Against Islamophobia and For Equal Rights is a coalition of 60 French organizations that came together in January 2020 to collectively resist the discriminatory bill originally called the “anti- separatism” and now renamed as the bill "reinforcing the respect for the principles of the Republic" as it is a direct violation of the Freedom of religion or belief of article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, ironically, in Paris on 10 December 1948. Article 18 states:
"Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. This right shall include freedom to have a religion or whatever belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice, and teaching."
Our coalition, representing people from diverse cultures, unanimously opposes this policy whose foundations are Islamophobia, racism, and colonial mindset steered by Far-right groups & politicians, and xenophobic French media.
Stop State Islamophobia!
On March 30, 2021, the French senate voted to:
Ban Hijab for Girls under 18 years old in public
Ban Hijab for Mothers accompanying school field trips
Ban use of Burkinis at public swimming pools
By imposing these restrictions on Muslim women's freedom of choice France is violating its obligations to Universal human rights. The UN Human Rights Office has issued a new analysis on how such restrictions have affected the human rights of women and girls who wear them. UN Human Rights, in collaboration with the Clinic University of Essex Human Rights Centre, researched the issue, analyzing legislation, policies, and case-law on religious attire in several European countries and how they affect the human rights of women and girls who wear the veil. It also examined the discrimination and violence experienced by Muslim women wearing the Hijab.
However, the French government, the National Assembly, and the Senate continue to exploit some violent acts committed by extremists who are, unfortunately, found in almost every group in the world today, religious or political. The French government must be reminded of its responsibility to uphold the nation's motto of "liberty, equality, fraternity" and to quit enforcing restrictions on its Muslim citizens & their freedom of thought, conscience, religion & their attire.
Muslim families are worried about the future of their children due to the intense scrutiny faced by Islamic schools and Mosques. we would like to reaffirm that it is not the religious practice that violates the constitution, it is the stereotypical attitude of the French government, which laid the foundation for the bill called "reinforcing the respect for the principles of the Republic" that legalizes, normalizes, and amplifies discrimination against Muslims, especially against women who wear Hijab.
According to the National Observatory of Islamophobia, there were 235 attacks on Muslims in France in 2020, up from 154 the previous year, a 53% jump. This dangerous spike in discrimination & hate crimes especially against Muslim women who wear Hijab can be attributed to the constant slurs made against Hijab by many French leaders, including President Macron, who said: "the veil does not conform to French civility".
In response to the bill, on March 21s thousands of people marched in the streets of France to oppose the Islamophobic bill of "anti-separatism", to condemn all forms of Racism and Islamophobia, and to defend our freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.
Our coalition representing thousands of muslim citizens, demands the French government:
To withdraw the “anti-separatism” bill which is evidently Islamophobic
To withdraw the 2004 law forbidding Hijab in schools
As French muslims, we vow to defend our rights, our freedom, and our dignity as equal French citizens.