09 January 2018

French town's decision to ban pork-free school meals branded 'anti-Muslim'

A French far right mayor's decision to scrap substitute meals for students who do not eat pork has been branded “anti-Muslim”.

Julien Sanchez, the Front National mayor of Beaucaire, ditched his predecessor’s scheme on the first day of the new school term.

The move means around 150 mainly Muslim pupils have lost their “substitution meals”.

Marlene Schiappa, France’s minister for sexual equality, told BFM TV the move was a “typical example of someone brandishing secularism as an anti-Muslim political weapon, or anti-Jewish for that matter”.

Mr Sanchez insisted the introduction of pork-free meals was “anti-Republican” and a “provocation” because it introduced “religion into school”.

“We are not a four-star restaurant,” he added on Twitter. [The Independent] Read more