France to raise security at religious sites over ‘very high’ risk of terror threats from Muslim extremists
- The move comes as police say extremists have issued online threats against Christians and moderate French Muslims
- Tensions between France and Muslim nations have escalated following the killing of a teacher who showed his class cartoons mocking the Prophet Muhammad
France is increasing security at religious sites as the interior minister on Tuesday said the country faces a “very high” risk of terrorist threats, amid growing geopolitical tensions following the beheading of a teacher who showed his class caricatures mocking the Prophet Muhammad.
European allies have supported Macron, while Muslim-majority countries are angered by his defence of prophet cartoons they consider sacrilegious.
We have a lot of enemies from within and outside the country
France’s national police have called for increased security at religious sites around the All Saint’s holiday this coming weekend, particularly noting online threats from extremists against Christians and moderate French Muslims.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on France-Inter radio that the terrorist threat remains “very high, because we have a lot of enemies from within and outside the country”.
“There is a battle against an Islamist ideology. We must not back down,” he said. But he insisted that “the Muslim faith has all its place in the republic”.
