Annul Le Pen immunity over Islamophobia: French lawyers

Justice ministry spokesman Pierre Rance said on Tuesday the request to lift the immunity protection of France’s National Front’s leader was sent to EP’s President Martin Schultz, a 2012 Nobel Prize medalist.

The EP, which received the request on November 26, said the vote would be cast in consideration to the case after three to four months.

The move comes as lawmakers in Lyon seek to prosecute Le Pen for comparing Muslim prayers on the streets to Nazi occupation.

The leader of France’s extreme-right party has been under a judicial probe since an anti-racial group filed a complaint against the comments made at a political speech.

Le Pen in the speech on December 2010, denounced public street prayers and said, "For those who like to talk about World War II, to talk about occupation, we could talk about, for once, the occupation of our territory.”

In light of her views about the Muslim community, she added, “There are no armored vehicles, no soldiers, but it is an occupation all the same and it weighs on people."

It seems that Marine Le Pen could truly be following in the footsteps of her father, who has several convictions for inciting racial hatred.

Some Muslim leaders are saying that the rise of Le Pen could precede a rise in the difficulties Muslims face in their quest for integration.

France has around 2,000 mosques for more than 5 million Muslim worshipers; many of them therefore are forced to pray on the streets, due to the inadequate space. That privilege was taken away on September 16, last year, when the government enforced a ban on street prayers.