MUSLIMS IN FRANCE.
France once again has been the victim of a massacre perpetuated by two men of apparently Islamic background. The attack was produced in the offices of Charlie Habdo, a satirical magazine which mocks at different religions and politic sectors as well as well-known figures. Twelve people were killed in the episode being four of them magazine's cartoonists and two police officers. The impact of this event was massive around the world, and different political leaders expressed their rejection to this terrorist act. Not only did the whole French society feel this attack as one more expression of hatred towards them, but also it is noticed that discrimination and rejection of Muslims will increase with this episode.
Due to the fact that the French government do not ask the population about their religious beliefs it is not possible to have an approximant number of the Muslim population in the country. Yet, some research say that 3.5-5 million people are Muslims living in France which represents 6.0-8.5 percent of the total French population. This information tells us that the Islam is an important religion inside the country. But it is important to highlight the fact that Muslims are a minority that suffers from segregation in different sectors of society. According to some studies, Muslims and people from other ethnic groups are more likely to be unemployed. One of the factors of this problem is that most of them do not have access to a good quality of education. To make a general picture of the situation, in this country the disadvantages Muslims face day by day are prominent.
What happened last January 7 in France increased the popular rejection towards those who are extremist followers of the Islam religion. The satirical magazine Charlie Habdo is part of the French cultural tradition. According to the BBC News Europe the tradition of the magazine combines "left-wing radicalism with a provocative scurrility that often borders on the obscene". The cover of the magazine showing Muhammad, the Muslim Prophet, was what apparently triggered the hatred of these extremists.
This is not the first time these fundamentalist groups attack Charlie Habdo's offices since the magazine has been receiving threats since 2006. Terrorists are mostly followers of the Fundamentalist Islam. Still, it is important to say that these groups are not representatives of the Islam but a group of people who misinterpret what the Co'ran preaches. This is the reason why not all Muslims are to be treated as terrorists or fundamentalists. France is in need of new social policies related to the inclusion of the Muslim population to the society so as to stop with the discrimination and segregation they suffer day by day. Hatred can be avoided through allowing them to be part of the society.
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