France's 'War on Veil'

The French government has revealed its true colours. French President Nicolas Sarkozy's party, the UMP, says it will push for a law banning the Islamic veil, according to its parliamentary leader Jean-François Copé.

"The issue is not how many women wear the burqa," Copé wrote in an article in the right-wing newspaper Le Figaro. "There are principles at stake: extremists are putting the republic to the test by promoting a practice that they know is contrary to the basic principles of our country."

If that wasn't enough, France's immigration minister said on Wednesday that he wants the wearing of Muslim veils to be grounds for denying citizenship and long-term residence.

This is just further proof that Islamophobia is on the rise. When will it stop? When Muslims start taking action to defend their rights. France's Muslim community needs to start actively engaging in political and media activism and to stop waiting for somebody to do it for them.