ARTICLE AD BOX
Representatives of the Muslim community in France have stressed that their freedom of worship should not be restricted, and that they do not want to become "second-class" citizens, in light of the possibility of a far-right government coming to power in the country.
On Wednesday, a conference was held at the Grand Mosque in Paris under the title "For the Republic, for France", where the fight against the rise of the far right was discussed before the second round of elections.
In a speech at the conference, the director of the Grand Mosque of Paris, Chemseddine Hafez, called on all citizens, regardless of their beliefs, to vote in the second round of early general elections scheduled for July 7.
In addition to Hafez, the conference was attended by the Director of the Grand Mosque of Lyon, Kamel Kabtane, a member of the French Islamic Forum, Sadek Beloussif, the Mayor of Staines, Ezzedine Taibi, and representatives of several non-governmental organizations.
Hafez added: "In these decisive days for the future of France, we stand steadfast with the national unity project, adhering to the doctrine and roots that we will not forget."
He pointed out that the National Front project and the political language it uses are based on hostility and fear of Muslims, and he explained that Muslims cannot be a "scapegoat" for society's problems, and that these problems arise from other causes.
Just days before the second round of early general elections, in which the far-right National Rally party came first in the first round, France's Muslim community expressed concern about the possibility of a far-right government coming to power.
The National Rally party topped the results of the early elections that the country witnessed in the first round, which was held on June 30, after President Emmanuel Macron dissolved Parliament on June 9.