PARIS (dpa): French opposition parties on Saturday slammed a claim by Interior Minister Claude Gueant that allowing foreigners to vote in local elections would lead to school canteens being forced to serve halal food. Restating President Nicolas Sarkozy's opposition to giving foreigners a vote in local elections, Gueant told a meeting Friday: “We don't, for example, want foreign municipal councilors making it obligatory to have halal food in canteen meals.” Giving foreigners a vote in local elections could also see women forced to wear “burqa-style swimsuits” in municipal swimming pools and separate bathing times introduced for men and women, Gueant contended. Gueant's remarks are seen as a part of an attempt by Sarkozy to shore up his support among right-wing voters ahead of April-May presidential polls. Gueant is often described as Sarkozy's “attack dog” on immigration. Manuel Valls, a spokesman for Socialist candidate Francois Hollande, said the “nauseating remarks” were “in the image of Nicolas Sarkozy's campaign.” Centrist MoDem candidate Francois Bayrou accused Gueant of trying to stoke fear. Florian Philippot, spokesman for far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen, said Gueant's remarks showed Le Pen set the agenda. Le Pen last week began the debate over halal food, saying that unknown to consumers “all the meat” sold in the greater Paris region was halal meat (from animals slaughtered according to Muslim rites). She based her remarks on a France 2 television report, in which a beef producer said all the abattoirs in the greater Paris region perform only halal slaughters. Farming groups point out that most of the meat consumed in Paris comes from outside the region. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/K3IyG Tags: halal meat remarks, Sarkozy minister Section: Europe, Latest News, Religion
