10 Surprising Facts about Muslims in France

Muslims have existed in France for a very long time. Here are 10 surprising facts about Muslims in France! Check them out here!

10. Muslims in France come from a large number of different countries. Most come from North Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria.

9. France has the largest number of Muslims in the Western world. This is mainly due to migration from the Maghreb region in North Africa. However, they also come from migration from the Middle Eastern countries. Muslims make up 8.8% of the population in France.

8. The first Muslims came to France many centuries ago. The largest number of Muslims came from France in the Contemporary era. This period is the aftermath of the Colonial Wars of Independence between 1954-1962.

7. The predominant Muslim population in France is in Paris. However, there are also large numbers in Marseille and Lyon.

6. France is home to the largest number of Muslims in the European Union. That is a third of the Muslim population in Europe.

5. In 2004, France banned headscarves, crosses and Jewish coverings in public schools. This is on the grounds that state institutions are supposed to be religiously neutral. In 2010, the niqab and burka were banned in public. France was the first to pass legislation for a ban like this.

4. Foreigners are included in this ban not just French people. The ban is for all public places. It applies to foreign tourists visiting France. If caught violating, you have to pay a fine of up to 150 Euros.

3. The grand Mufti of Paris Mosque testified in Parliament that the niqab was not something subscribed in Islam. He said that this ban was due to radicalization and it was a way to criminalize Muslims. He said that this went against France’s concept of being a secular state.

2. In 2018 the UN said France has heavily violated human rights. This was the first case to be addressed by the UN for the niqab situation. They said that France had not provided enough reason for their ban on the niqab. Not much has been done about it though.

1. France received more than half a million Muslim migrants between 2010 -2016. 80,000 refugees were accepted by France, the majority were Muslims.

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