In France, the country's Muslims are growing increasingly anxious about the direction of politics after the election.
We are naturally afraid of how the result will affect our daily lives, says Fatima, 70 years old.
The far-right party National Rally (RN) has not made a secret of its hostile stance towards Muslim customs and practices, such as halal slaughter and wearing the veil. During a TV debate, party leader Jordan Bardella said the party wants to ban the veil in public places, but the law will be introduced at the earliest in the next presidential election in 2027.
Fear of new laws
Sarah, a member of a Muslim women's organisation, is afraid that RN – if the party wins the election – will introduce new laws that restrict her rights.
It's a real risk, says Sarah, who does not want to give her surname.
She, like many of the country's Muslims, is also worried that harassment of Muslims may become socially accepted.
If an openly racist party comes to power, Islamophobic harassment will multiply, she says.
In France, around six million Muslims live, which means the country has one of the largest Muslim populations in Europe. Several high-ranking Muslim representatives, including Chems-Eddine Hafiz, leader of the Grand Mosque in Paris, believe that Muslims have become scapegoats for everything seen as a threat to French identity.
Everything has been mixed up in people's minds: immigration is the same as Islam and religion is equal to invasion of the country, says Imam Tareq Oubrou.
Life has become worse in recent years
Many Muslims also believe that they are often negatively portrayed in the media since the terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015.
Every time I turn on the TV, it's only Islam, Islam and Islam. They mix up Islam with Islamism and tar everyone with the same brush, says two-child mother Miryam, 46 years old. She has advised her children to move abroad because life as a Muslim in France has become worse in recent years.
In the European election on 9 June, National Rally received over 30 per cent of the votes, nearly double that of President Emmanuel Macron's alliance.
Of the Muslims who went to the polls, 62 per cent voted for the party Unsubmissive France (LFI) far to the left, but a whole 59 per cent of Muslims did not vote at all.
