Two women wearing head scarves were thrown out of a Paris restaurant on Saturday after being threatened by its self-confessed racist owner . In the latest instance of intercultural tensions in France, a restaurant owner in the Paris suburb of Tremblay-en-France is facing an investigation after chasing two veiled Muslim women out of his premises after telling them "all Muslims are terrorists" on Saturday. His actions, caught on video, provoked a furious response, not least on social media, and have prompted prosecutors to open an inquiry in racial discrimination. The incident, filmed by one of the two women and posted online, shows the other saying: "We don't want to be served by racists". The restaurateur responds: "Racists like me don't plant bombs and don't kill people." He added that "terrorists are Muslim and all Muslims are terrorists. I don't want people like you in my place. Now you know it you can get out". The boss of "Le Cenacle" restaurant later apologized for his actions as calls to boycott his establishment flooded social media sites alongside negative reviews. A source close to the investigation said that the proprietor had left his home along with his family for security reasons. Cazeneuve lashed out the opposition for trying to earn political points from the burkini controversy at a time when the country has been rattled by a string of deadly attacks claimed by Daesh (the so-called IS) militants. "Certain opposition leaders are making a lot of noise. They think that in the current context of terror threats, we can abandon the fundamental principles of law as embodied in the Constitution," he said, warning that such a move would be "a serious mistake." The recent Islamophobic incident came to light after several French towns recently took the decision to ban a full-body swimsuit worn by some Muslim women, known as the burkini, in public, causing more uproar. France's highest administrative court on Friday suspended the ban in the Mediterranean town of Villeneuve-Loubet, pending a definitive ruling. President Francois Hollande also came out last week to warn against "stigmatization" of Muslims, along with other politicians. In response to the incident, the Committee against Islamophobia in France (CCIF) said it would bring "psychological and legal assistance" to both women. — Agencies
