Rabat – A man and a woman beat two siblings from Jordan in Angers, western France, amid mounting racism, xenophobia, and Islamophobia in the European country.
The siblings told the Jordanian website Roya News on Sunday that the two attackers targeted them when they heard them speaking Arabic at a bus stop.
The two attackers yelled at the brother and sister, telling them, “This is France and not for you,” and beating them “severely.”
A photo of one of the siblings shows severe injuries to his nose and eyes.
Muhammad Abu Eid and his sister Heba thanked the French police for their help as well as the assistance they received from the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Spokesperson of Jordan’s foreign ministry Dhaifalah Ali Al Fayez said the Jordanian embassy is following up on the complaint the two siblings filed against the attackers.
King Abdullah II of Jordan also called the victims of the attacks, expressing support.
French police also opened an investigation after two women wearing the hijab, the Muslim veil, were victims of a stabbing attack near the Eiffel Tower on October 18.
The attacks come as Islamophobia and xenophobia are intensifying in France following the murder of teacher Samuel Paty on October 16.
Paty displayed offensive cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad during a lesson on freedom of expression. A man from Chechnya murdered Paty in response, saying he “avenged” the insults to the prophet.
Emmanuel Macron condemned the murder but blamed the attack on Islam.
He said that France “would not give up our cartoons.” He also said the murder was done because “Islamists want our future.”
Ahead of the murder, Macron said Islam is in crisis across the world, angering millions of Muslims.
In response, thousands of Muslims, particularly in the Arab world, decided to boycott French products.
Several countries, including Morocco, also denounced the systematic use of the offensive cartoons against Islam in the wake of Paty’s murder.
France responded to the campaign, calling on Arab countries to stop the boycott and describing the campaign as “attacks” from a “radical minority.”
