France passed a bill to combat Islamic extremism.

In a strong step to check the rise of “Islamic extremism and separatism”, Lower House of France’s Parliament has passed an “Anti-Separation” bill on Tuesday. The new law is professed response to sinister attempts of Islamic groups to undermine the secular fabric of French society and polity.

Ruling party led by France’s President Emmanuel Macron’s lined up for the new legislation with 347 votes in favour, 151 against and 65 abstaining from the vote.

Emmanuel Macron took a tough stance after the Islamists beheaded a French teacher Samuel Paty in 2020. France has been targeted by Islamists in 2015 as well, when 12 people at the office of satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, which published cartoons of Prophet Mohammad, were massacred by Muslims. After the massacre, Islamists also killed a policewoman and they killed four people after taking hostages at a Jewish supermarket. Altogether 17 people were massacred by Islamists within three days of attacks in January 2015.

The Bill contains several provisions including the provision to ban virginity testing, polygamy, forced marriages, ensuring children attend schools from age 3-year, secularism training to public employees, cutting off foreign influence on mosques and Islamic organizations.