France shuts down two Islamic schools

Two Islamic schools have been closed down in France’s southern city of Montpellier, according to local media reports.

Officials carried out unannounced checks at the two schools on Tuesday and ordered the administrations to shut them down, news outlet Actu.fr reported on Wednesday.

The raids were carried out on the directives of Hugues Moutouh, governor of the Herault region.

A small mosque in one of the schools will also be shut down.

A controversial new law introduced in France last year has been criticized for singling out Muslims, while some 25 mosques have been closed down in the country on various grounds.

The European Islamophobia Report 2021 released a few months ago said the new law “which is supposed to provide a strong response against ‘terrorism’ and ‘radical Islam’, has in fact provoked a violent crackdown on Muslim visibility and organization.”

The report identified France as one of “the main spots of anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobic incidents” on the continent.