French Muslim Mothers launch Campaign Aims to Fight Social Apartheid at Schools

Montpellier, France - In a move to further promote liberty and equality in France, a group of Muslim mothers have launched a campaign that aims to fight social apartheid and foster diversity at schools in the European country.

Called “la mixite’”, the initiative calls for adopting secular laws and fostering inclusion to make schools “more French”.

In Petit Bard estate, where about 5,000 Muslim families of Moroccan background live, campaigners staged rallies and visited several schools to advocate integration.

They also created a Facebook campaign page and fired off letters to the city hall, the local education authority and France’s Education Minister, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem.

Morocco-born Vallaud-Belkacem is the first woman in French history to hold the office of education minister.

The Muslim mothers hopes that Belkacem, who has been vocal on many aspects of discrimination in French society, will support their case.

“That is exactly what we are fighting for,” Safia, a mother of three, who is among the campaign leaders in the southern town of Montpellier, told the National on Monday.

The 36-year-old mother was talking about the new campaign that aims to end to the “ghettoization” of French schools where every pupil is of immigrations origin.

The anti-apartheid campaign was applauded by Marie-Françoise Camps, headmistress at the Genevievé-Bon nursery school.

Calling for diversity, Renaud Calvat, a counselor with responsibility for education, said that parents should be allowed to send their children to any schools of their choice out of Ghettos.

France is home to a Muslim community of nearly six million, the largest in Europe. It is noteworthy that French Muslims have been complaining of restrictions on performing their religious practices.