● The house detention against French Muslims carry on after the Olympic Games
● Human Rights organisations like Amnesty International have been voicing their concerns regarding the treatment of Muslims by the French authorities
MICAS, or individual administrative control and surveillance measures, stems from Law No. 2017-1510 of October 30, 2017, supposed to be strengthening internal security and fight against terrorism in France. Initially designed as temporary, it was made permanent by Article 1 of the referred law.
As a result, many Muslims found themselves banned from the Olympic Games and continue, despite the end of this sporting event, to be victims of these administrative measures.
Indeed, they last for 3 months, arbitrarily and without any judgment, thus limiting the freedom of movement and circulation of certain French citizens of the Muslim faith.
Most of these citizens have never committed any offense and are always very surprised to receive the notification of this measure against them.
We have the example of a Muslim revert named Pierre who used to be a police officer. He wrote “Free Palestine” on a document regarding the asylum request of a Palestinian refugee. He acknowledged his lack of neutrality but was punished by being suspended for 6 months without any salary for this whole period.
We did not witness any Zionist supporters being penalized in such a way by French administrations.
This punishment did not seem to be enough, and today, he is also targeted by MICAS, even though he has never seen a judge or a tribunal.
He cannot leave his house and has to go every day to the police station to give his signature.
If Pierre was able to testify, many Muslims in the same situation are afraid to speak out.
With such a measure, going to work or leading a normal life is impossible. This means that anyone in the same situation would lose their job.
Discrimination in employment, as well as in housing and education, is already commonplace for French Muslims so this type of measure can only worsen their situation.
We have already seen that French Muslim women are the only ones in the world to have been prevented from competing in the Olympic Games.
For many years now, certain organizations have been concerned about the treatment that French Muslims endure.
Thus, in 2018, Amnesty International published an article on this situation, denouncing the authorities’ will to “persecute not prosecute.”
Many articles in foreign newspapers such as the New York Times or the Washington Post have reported the exodus from French Muslims, especially those with significant academic backgrounds, to more welcoming lands such as the United Kingdom, Canada, the Gulf countries, or even neighboring European countries.
But nothing seems to change, and the French authorities persist in promoting what they call the French exception that imposes an extreme, discriminatory vision of secularism, in complete contradiction with French law.
Indeed, the 1905 law separating church and state prohibits the government from interfering in religious affairs.
Since President Macron’s insulting declarations towards Islam in 2020, many Muslim countries have been promoting the boycott of French products.
It seems that in the long term, France will pay a high economic price for this French exception, with Muslim countries choosing other partners who are more respectful of their faith.
As France continues on its highway to hell, one might worry for the future and safety of our brothers and sisters there.
