Source : https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k16/k160flweyj
We welcome the new report on Hate on the basis of religion or belief.
We remain concerned about France’s policy on freedom of religion or belief, which leads to hate speech and hate crimes, and which is exacerbated by new legislative measures targeting minorities to be voted tomorrow by introducing further restrictive measures on freedom of expression and conscience.
These policies are leading to serious institutional abuses in France, for example in the judicial system. We were shocked by a court decision based on reports from an anti-sect NGO, funded and supported by the government.
A divorce judgment deprived a mother of her parental rights based on a biased report by this anti-sect NGO, which claimed that the mother was under the influence of a guru and contained serious anti-Semitic and Islamophobic allegations.
I quote: « The children have told their father that they no longer wish to eat pork, presumably having adopted the Jewish religion, Jewish religion with their mother, and that they perform ablutions and recite prayers in Arabic, in Arabic during visits to their mother’s home.”
We call on France to stop funding and supporting such NGOs, which fuel discrimination and stigmatization.
