Multiple Nations Condemn French Police for Racist and Totalitarian Practices

Several countries at the United Nations made proposals to France on Monday to strengthen its efforts to combat crimes and threats of violence motivated by Islamophobia and Anti-semitism.
In a meeting called by the U.N. Women’s Rights Council to discuss France’s record in this arena, these countries conducted a scathing criticism of Paris against a backdrop of attacks on migrants, racial profiling, and police violence.
All 193 U.N. member states must submit periodic updates on the human rights situation in their respective territories and must follow the recommendations of the overall U.N. governing body.
The United States, for example, urged France to step up efforts to combat violence and racial discrimination. Specifically, U.S. Representative Kelly Billingsley stated that the American delegation recommends that France increase its efforts to prevent crimes and threats of violence inspired by religious hatred, such as anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.
Similarly, Brazil and Japan criticized French racial profiling by security personnel, while South Africa urged Paris to take steps to assure the fairness of public inquiries into all incidents involving police where racial factors potentially come into question.
In contrast, the French delegation’s leader for Women’s Rights and Equality Isabelle Lonvis-Rome did not explicitly respond to the criticism, instead stating that religious racism is “the poison of the Republic.”