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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 2 February 2021
Lawmakers debate bill to rout out radical Islam in France

By ELAINE GANLEY points the finger at Islam.
Associated Press Other critics say the bill
PARIS (AP) — French law- covers ground already
makers tackled a bill on addressed in current laws
Monday they hope will while far-right leader Ma-
uproot radical Islam in the rine Le Pen says the bill
country, beliefs that author- doesn’t go far enough or
ities maintain are creeping even name the enemy:
into public services, asso- radical Islam.
ciations, some schools and Muslim leaders were keep-
online with the goal of un- ing a low profile as debate
dermining national values. opened.
The bill is broad and con- In ways small and large, the
troversial, with some 1,700 bill seeks oversight in the
proposed amendments, functioning of associations
and it guarantees heated and mosques, including
debate for the next two foreign financing, aiming
weeks in the lower house. to plug up entry points for
Opening the debate, In- Islamist ideology in the lives
terior Minister Gerald Dar- of Muslims.
manin, the bill’s sponsor, Mohammed Moussaoui,
said the aim is to stop “an head of the French Coun-
Islamist hostile takeover cil on the Muslim Faith, the
targeting Muslims.” He In this Oct.17, 2020 file photo, a poster reading “I am Samuel” and flowers lay outside the school government’s main con-
stressed that “we are not where slain history teacher Samuel Paty was working, in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, northwest of duit for France’s diverse
fighting against a religion,” Paris. Associated Press Muslim population, said at
although some Muslims a parliamentary commis-
have voiced concern that speech painted a dark ism, first and foremost an value of France that the bill sion hearing in January that
it adds a new layer of stig- picture of what he dubbed Islamist separatism that is he sponsored is meant to the new oversight of asso-
matization for French Mus- “separatism,” a perverse like gangrene infecting our protect. ciations in the bill is “use-
lims. version of Islam, France’s national unity.” Multiple terrorist attacks in ful, necessary to fight those
Other religions, from Bud- No. 2 religion, quietly mak- Darmanin, a right-leaning France by Islamist extrem- who want to instrumental-
dhists to Catholics, have ing inroads and creating a member of Macron’s cen- ists provide a backdrop for ize associations” to counter
complained they also “counter society.” trist party, took up his mis- the bill, even if recent at- French values.
could suffer fallout from the Darmanin echoed the sion to propose a law with tacks were committed by However, he expressed
text. president in his opening zeal, writing a short book to outsiders. concern that officials could
The bill reflects a priority for remarks to lawmakers, say- be released in the next few The text applies to all reli- “use this tool to bother as-
President Emmanuel Ma- ing “Our country is suffering days, “Manifesto for Secu- gions but some Muslims say sociations, the good stu-
cron, who in an October from a sickness of separat- larism” — a fundamental the legislation once again dents” following the rules.q

Kosovo, Israel establish diplomatic ties

By LLAZAR SEMINI the U.S. and Guatemala to achieved last September
Associated Press have its embassy located as part of a summit at the
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — in Jerusalem. It also is the White House when Kosovo
Kosovo and Israel formally first European or Muslim- Prime Minister Avdullah
established diplomatic ties majority country to do so. Hoti and Serbian President
on Monday in a ceremony Most countries’ embassies Aleksandar Vucic agreed
held digitally due to the are in Tel Aviv. to normalize economic ties
pandemic lockdown. The Palestinians claim east in the presence of then-
Kosovo Foreign Minister Jerusalem, captured by President Donald Trump.
Meliza Haradinaj-Stublla Israel in the 1967 Mideast Speaking in France after
and her Israeli counter- war and later annexed, talks with French President
part, Gabi Ashkenazi, held as the capital of a future Emmanuel Macron, Vucic
a virtual ceremony to sign state. Most of the interna- said he’s not happy with A government official takes a selfie during a signing ceremony
the documents in their re- tional community does not the Israel-Kosovo agree- held digitally, in the capital Pristina, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021.
spective countries. recognize the Israeli an- ment and that it could hurt Associated Press
“Today we are making his- nexation of east Jerusalem Serbia’s future ties with Is-
tory. We are establishing and says the competing rael. Serbia as a close and sig- in Europe because the
diplomatic relations be- claims to the city should Serbia does not recognize nificant partner in the Bal- Israeli-Palestinian conflict
tween Israel and Kosovo,” be resolved through nego- its former province of Koso- kans.” remains unresolved.
said Ashkenazi. tiations.Israeli officials said vo as a separate state. The Trump administration Kosovo’s Parliament de-
“We mark a new chapter Kosovo has already select- At the Washington summit, recognized Jerusalem as clared independence
in the historical bond be- ed a location in central Je- Belgrade also agreed to Israel’s capital in late 2017 from Serbia in 2008, nine
tween our countries,” Ha- rusalem and is expected move its embassy in Israel and moved the U.S. em- years after a U.S.-led 78-
radinaj-Stublla responded to open the embassy in the to Jerusalem, something it bassy there in May 2018. day NATO airstrike cam-
in her speech. next two or three months. hasn’t done so far. It encouraged other coun- paign against Serbia to
With Monday’s agree- The decision on mutual Ashkenazi said “Israel tries to do the same but stop a bloody crackdown
ment, Kosovo is to become recognition between wants a stable Balkans,” was widely criticized by against ethnic Albanians
just the third country after Kosovo and Israel was adding that, “I consider the Palestinians and many in Kosovo.q