Tackling Islamophobia in France: a government short on solutions
On April 25th a young Muslim worshipper, Aboubakar Cissé, was stabbed to death in a mosque in the town of La Grand-Combe in the south of France. The suspect in the case was arrested after fleeing to Italy. Since the murder, the French government – criticised for its slow initial reaction to the killing - has struggled to offer any political response beyond formulaic references to “universalism” and Republican values. As Ilyes Ramdani reports, this is down to the failure by Emmanuel Macron and his allies over his two terms of office to grapple with the issues of racism and discrimination.
JustJust over a week after the killing of Aboubakar Cissé in a mosque in the small former mining town of La Grand-Combe in the south of France on April 25th, the French government is still trying to shake off accusations that it has displayed a lack of interest and urgency over the murder. In the National Assembly on Tuesday, leading figures from the ruling coalition made grandiose declarations assuring MPs of their emotions over the killing and of their determination to act. “Every day we will champion our moral duty to live together,” pledged prime minister François Bayrou.
