French Instagrameur, Mila, came under fire for her frequent attacks against Islam and Muslims worldwide.
“The Quran is a religion of hatred. There is only hatred in it. Islam is s**t, your religion is
s**t,” she said in a video posted on June 23.
the Instagrameur anti-Islam speech on Instagram drew backlash.
The 16-year-old teen sparked a national row over free speech when she called Islam a
“religion of hate”.
However, her legal case caught national attention and tested France’s new cyberbullying laws.
Her islamophobic comments resulted in a landmark cyberbullying case.
Thirteen people were found guilty of harassing her. They were aged between 18 and 29.
Eleven of them were handed suspended prison sentences of between four and six months.
Her case prompted fury. But, it also drew support in France, where there are no laws
against blasphemy.
French Secularism VS Islamophobia
France has a strictly secular constitution but also a large Muslim population.
In recent years, there have been frequent clashes over policy, such as a government ban
on full-face veils in public.
In October, French President Emmanuel Macron warned against “stigmatising” Muslims or
linking Islam with the fight against terrorism.
“We have to stand together with all our fellow citizens,” Mr Macron said during a joint press
conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday.
It came as a French woman said she was taking legal action against far-right politicians who criticised her for wearing an Islamic headscarf in public.
France has about five million Muslims.
It is the largest Muslim minority in Western Europe.
Veil Not Welcome in France
In 2011, France became the first European country to ban the full-face Islamic veil in public
places, while alternatives such as hijabs, which cover the head and hair, remained legal.
Under the ban, no woman, French or foreign, can leave their home with their face hidden
behind a veil without running the risk of a fine.
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose administration introduced the ban, said
veils oppressed women and were “not welcome” in France.