For a second consecutive night yesterday, French police battled hundreds of Muslim youth in the Paris suburbs of Clichy-sous-Bois and Montfermeil. (Seattle Times [2], June 1) This makes headlines; the ongoing institutionalized racism that fuels these periodic eruptions does not. From Turkey's Zaman [3], June 1:
Half of those being detained in French prisons are said to be Muslims.
A Le Monde news article wrote that according to a poll run by Religions World magazine, although Muslims constitute 7-8 percent of the French population, 50 percent of all prisoners are Muslim immigrants.The percentage rises to 80 percent in suburbs mostly populated by immigrants.
International Prison Observation Center President Gabriel Mouesca said that socio-economic conditions not the religion is effective in why half of all French prisoners are Muslims. Despite Islam being the most common religion in prisons, Muslim convicts have many problems. The biggest one is not being able to exercise their religious obligations comfortably. The lack of small mosques, in addition to religious officials, is another concern for Muslims who are also complaining about the food served in prisons.
See our last post [4] on France.
