https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed The UN stressed on Tuesday it was opposed to most dress codes for women, after France barred its athletes from wearing the Muslim hijab during the 2024 Paris Olympics. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230926/dont-tell-women-what-to-wear-un-says-after-france-bans-hijab-at-olympics Tue, 26 Sep 2023 16:31:26 +0200 dont-tell-women-what-to-wear-un-says-after-france-bans-hijab-at-olympics The French city of Grenoble cannot go ahead with plans to allow the "burkini" full-body swimming costume at its municipal pools, the country's top administrative court ruled on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20220621/frances-top-court-blocks-wearing-of-burkini-in-grenoble-swimming-pools Tue, 21 Jun 2022 17:37:55 +0200 frances-top-court-blocks-wearing-of-burkini-in-grenoble-swimming-pools Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday denounced a planned French law designed to counter "Islamist separatism" as a "guillotine" of democracy. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210513/erdogan-calls-french-separatism-bill-guillotine-of-democracy Thu, 13 May 2021 17:01:56 +0200 erdogan-calls-french-separatism-bill-guillotine-of-democracy After a series of stories in foreign media that misunderstand or misrepresent events in France, Ingri Bergo looks at why is France having such a hard time making itself understood abroad. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210429/analysis-why-is-france-so-often-misrepresented-abroad Thu, 29 Apr 2021 16:12:13 +0200 analysis-why-is-france-so-often-misrepresented-abroad Recent days have seen a proliferation of social media posts protesting against a proposed 'hijab ban' in France - but is there really a plan to ban the Muslim headscarf? https://www.thelocal.fr/20210426/is-france-really-planning-to-ban-the-muslim-headscarf Mon, 26 Apr 2021 16:27:31 +0200 is-france-really-planning-to-ban-the-muslim-headscarf The French government condemned on Monday a student protest campaign targeting two university professors accused of Islamophobia, saying it could put the lecturers in danger. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210308/police-probe-opened-after-poster-campaign-against-islamophobic-lecturers-at-french-university Mon, 08 Mar 2021 14:35:16 +0100 police-probe-opened-after-poster-campaign-against-islamophobic-lecturers-at-french-university My theme is 'what didn’t happen' and why it can sometimes be more important than what did happen, writes John Lichfield in his latest article exploring the troubled relationship between Islam and the French state. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210216/opinion-want-to-start-a-quarrel-in-france-mention-islam Tue, 16 Feb 2021 16:17:41 +0100 opinion-want-to-start-a-quarrel-in-france-mention-islam If you follow French news reports you will have seen recently a lot of controversy about 'Islamo-gauchisme' - but what exactly does this term mean and is it really the French version of 'woke'? https://www.thelocal.fr/20210217/islamo-gauchisme-what-does-it-mean-and-why-is-it-controversial-in-france Wed, 17 Feb 2021 18:16:33 +0100 islamo-gauchisme-what-does-it-mean-and-why-is-it-controversial-in-france The French parliament on Tuesday votes on a bill to battle Islamist extremism, which the state argues is needed to bolster the secular system but critics say breaches religious freedom. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210216/french-parliament-to-vote-on-anti-extremism-bill Tue, 16 Feb 2021 09:01:57 +0100 french-parliament-to-vote-on-anti-extremism-bill Three Muslim groups refused on Wednesday to back an anti-extremism charter pushed by French officials following a spate of jihadist-inspired attacks, dealing a blow to a flagship initiative of President Emmanuel Macron's government. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210121/french-muslim-groups-deal-blow-to-macrons-anti-extremism-charter Thu, 21 Jan 2021 08:43:49 +0100 french-muslim-groups-deal-blow-to-macrons-anti-extremism-charter Three months ago, President Emmanuel Macron made a speech in the Paris suburbs in which he promised a law to combat radical, Islamic 'separatism' writes John Lichfield. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210119/analysis-has-macron-succeeded-in-creating-an-islam-for-france Tue, 19 Jan 2021 14:55:20 +0100 analysis-has-macron-succeeded-in-creating-an-islam-for-france President Emmanuel Macron praised French Muslim leaders on Monday after they agreed on a "charter of principles" aimed at combatting sectarianism and radicalised teachings blamed for a surge in jihadist attacks in France in recent years. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210118/macron-hails-french-muslim-charter-against-extremism Mon, 18 Jan 2021 19:20:41 +0100 macron-hails-french-muslim-charter-against-extremism France's Muslim federations agreed on Sunday on a "charter of principles" requested by President Emmanuel Macron in his bid to eradicate sectarianism and extremism. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210118/french-muslim-groups-draw-up-charter-to-reject-political-islam Mon, 18 Jan 2021 09:37:57 +0100 french-muslim-groups-draw-up-charter-to-reject-political-islam It's been slightly lost amid the many controversies around the bill, but France's proposed law to 'strengthen republican values' also contains strictures on home-schooling. https://www.thelocal.fr/20201203/is-the-french-government-really-proposing-a-complete-ban-on-home-schooling Thu, 03 Dec 2020 16:35:53 +0100 is-the-french-government-really-proposing-a-complete-ban-on-home-schooling A cacophony of complaints - some justified, most plain wrong or wilfully distorted - has been hurled at Emmanuel Macron’s proposed new law to defend French democracy from radical Islam, writes John Lichfield. https://www.thelocal.fr/20201208/analysis-what-is-actually-contained-in-macrons-controversial-law-against-islamic-extremism Tue, 08 Dec 2020 15:11:35 +0100 analysis-what-is-actually-contained-in-macrons-controversial-law-against-islamic-extremism France's highest administrative court on Wednesday rejected appeals against the dissolution of a Muslim NGO and the six-month closing down of a mosque ordered by the government after the beheading of a teacher by an Islamist radical. https://www.thelocal.fr/20201125/french-court-backs-closure-of-muslim-ngo-for-inciting-hatred Wed, 25 Nov 2020 17:51:59 +0100 french-court-backs-closure-of-muslim-ngo-for-inciting-hatred A French bill on preventing radicalisation, completed after the Islamist beheading of teacher Samuel Paty, makes it a crime to intimidate public servants on religious grounds, according to the text unveiled on Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.fr/20201119/whats-in-frances-new-law-to-crack-down-on-radical-islamism Thu, 19 Nov 2020 10:08:40 +0100 whats-in-frances-new-law-to-crack-down-on-radical-islamism French president Emmanuel Macron is said to be considering appointing a 'special envoy' to explain his ideas on tackling radical Islam to Muslim states - but why would he be considering this idea? https://www.thelocal.fr/20201108/why-does-france-want-to-appoint-an-envoy-to-explain-itself-to-muslim-countries Sun, 08 Nov 2020 12:01:16 +0100 why-does-france-want-to-appoint-an-envoy-to-explain-itself-to-muslim-countries Simultaneously battling the twin crises of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic and a resurgence in Islamist attacks, French President Emmanuel Macron faces a defining moment that will determine the success of his presidency and even his chances of reelection. https://www.thelocal.fr/20201101/macron-faces-defining-moment Sun, 01 Nov 2020 10:08:59 +0100 macron-faces-defining-moment An attacker armed with a sawn-off shotgun on Saturday wounded an Orthodox priest in a shooting in the French city of Lyon before fleeing, said a police source. https://www.thelocal.fr/20201031/orthodox-priest-shot-outside-church-in-frances-lyon Sat, 31 Oct 2020 19:02:49 +0100 orthodox-priest-shot-outside-church-in-frances-lyon