“However, Muslims must continue to engage with us over gender equality, the inviolable nature of the principles of the French Republic, and tolerance in order to live together”, he said, noting that in overruling the ban, the court had “stated the law”.
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The women are visibly shocked and at one point you could hear them saying they don’t want to be served by a “racist”. The footage of the incident at the restaurant has been shared widely on social media.
Two hijab-clad Muslim woman were reportedly thrown out of a high-end French restaurant after the owner refused to serve them arguing that “all Muslims are terrorists”.
The UN has weighed in on France’s “burkini ban” controversy, urging the seaside towns at the heart of the dispute to repeal their restrictions on the concealing swimwear.
Several mayors said they would ignore a decision last Friday by the country’s top administrative court to suspend the burkini ban in one Riviera town.
“France needs healing and people coming together, not divisive outbursts by those contesting in primaries”, Cazeneuve said.
Tensions in France have escalated in recent weeks surrounding the so called “burkini ban”.
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve (R) and representatives of the Muslim community on August 29, 2016 in Paris.
In France, opinion is divided between those who see the laws as an infringement on religious freedom and those who view the Islamic dress as inconsistent with France’s rigorously enforced secularism.
The daylong conference bringing together Muslim leaders, civil society and others is the latest step in creating an “Islam of France” that respects French secular values. More rulings are expected in the next few days as local courts are hearing other contested town decrees.
The campaign to choose a centre-right candidate for the French presidential election has already descended into clashes between former president Nicolas Sarkozy and his main rival Alain Juppe over bans on the burkini swimsuit.
A woman wearing a burkini on the beach near Promenade des Anglais in Nice was confronted by officers who asked her to remove part of her covering and issued her a fine.
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Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve met with senior Muslim representatives and agreed that efforts to foster good relations will include the creation of an Islamic foundation, funded exclusively with money from within France.
