Ever since the deadly terrorists attack on the French magazine, Charlie Hebdo in January, Islamophobic acts in France have levitated 500 %.
According to French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM), the European country witnessed 222 Islamophobic acts since the start of 2015, showing a extreme surge vis-à-vis the 37 incidents recorded over the same period last year.
The French National Observatory against Islamophobia warned of never done “implosion of anti-Muslim acts” in the nation.
“Not since the observatory was established in 2011 have we seen an implosion of anti-Muslim acts, whether actions, threats or on social networks,” said Abdallah Zekri, the observatory’s president, adding, “These anti-Muslim acts resulted in violent assaults on men and women, some pregnant.”
According to the reports, most of the Islamophobic attacks were carried out in January, hence giving an idea about a strong linkage between the attacks and the Charlie Hebdo incident which took place the same month.
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks, back in February warned of the rise of prejudice against religious minorities in France.
“Despite advances in legislation and measures to combat intolerance and racism, discrimination and hate speech not only persist in France but are on the rise,” he said, adding, “There is an urgent need to combat this in a sustained and systematic manner… It is essential to put an end to such acts, including on the Internet, and to punish those responsible.”