RNA - A recent report published by Nils Muižnieks the Council of Europe commissioner for human rights suggests that Muslim woman have become the prime target of hate crimes in France, urging new measures to counter rising hate.
According to the report, 80% of the anti-Muslim acts which occur in France are carried out against women.
Muižnieks recommends a national plan to promote and protect human rights as well as ratifying Protocol No. 12 to the European Convention on Human Rights on the general prohibition of discrimination in order to “further strengthen the legal framework.”
The report was finalised in December 2014, one month before the Charlie Hebdo and Paris kosher shop shootings, which claimed the lives of 17 innocent people, plus the three gunmen.
The commissioner called on the French government to be more proactive in cracking down on racism and hate speech, particularly on the Internet, suggesting that further discrimination protocols should be ratified to help strengthen legal frameworks.
Attacks on Muslims have been on the rise in France since the Charlie Hebdo attacks in January. Earlier this month the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) published data that showed that between the Charlie Hebdo attacks on 7th January and the end of that month there were 147 ‘acts’ carried out against Muslims.
In the week following the attacks the CFCM reported that 26 separate mosques had been attacked across the country. In some cases the buildings were firebombed and in other grenades were thrown.
But statistics show the number of reverts to Islam among French people has increased significantly after Charlie Hebdo attacks, with French imams reporting a growing number of people coming to take Shahada or declaration of faith at mosques, despite increasing anti-Muslim attacks.
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