France- According to local media reports, two Islamic schools have been closed in the southern French city of Montpellier. A small mosque at one of the schools has also been ordered closed.
News outlet Actu.fr reported on Wednesday that authorities had carried out inspections at both schools on Tuesday without notice and ordered the administration to close them.
Hugues Moutouh, governor of the Hérault region, had given instructions to carry out the raid. According to Moutouh, the schools were "illegal" and the mosque was operating without permission.
Last year a controversial new law was introduced in France that has been criticized for alienating Muslims, while around 25 mosques in France were closed on various grounds.
The European Islamophobia Report 2021, released a while ago, pointed out that the new law "which appears to provide a strong response against 'terrorism' and 'radical Islam' has in fact provoked a violent crackdown on Muslim visibility and organization."
According to the report, France is one of the "main sites of anti-Muslim hate and Islamophobic incidents".
Source: Anadolu Agency