A French Muslim woman wearing a niqab was punched then slashed as she left a metro station in Marseille as anti-Muslim hate crimes appear to be increasing in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks.
Her attacker reportedly made comments about her religious dress. She was taken to a nearby hospital with facial injuries.
The French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve condemned the assault as “cowardly” and urged French citizens to remember the “values of the Republic”.
In spite of tensions running high in France following last Friday’s tragic events, President Francois Hollande has emphasised his country’s support for Syrian refugees, even as many within the country and across Europe have been calling for a halt to the EU’s refugee program.
Hollande said France will continue to accept those fleeing Syria’s civil war, but that security screenings will be thoroughly conducted.
Source: World Bulletin
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