伊斯兰恐惧症会影响法国的穆斯林庆祝宰牲节

Today marks the beginning of the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, or the 'Festival of Sacrifice'. While Muslims around the world are celebrating with prayers and offerings, the time of festivity has been rather different for some Muslims in France.

Thousands gather for morning prayers to celebrate Eid al-Adha - the holiest festival in the Muslim calendar. This mosque sits on the outskirts of Paris, in one of the French capital’s many suburbs with a high immigrant population. The local mayor addresses the worshippers.

Secularism is not the enemy of religion, he tells them. Islam can co-exist with a French secular state.

Inside the message is very much one of tolerance, acceptance, social cohesion. But the reality in France is very different and religious tensions are at an all time high.

Long simmering tensions have been inflamed by the recent deadly terror attacks. And community leaders say anti-Muslim bias has further intensified in recent weeks in the wake of the burkini affair.

"It created tension. Two weeks ago, not even two weeks ago actually, in this area of Seine St-Denis, two women wearing veils entered a restaurant to eat and the owner spoke to them in an atrocious way. He said, ‘I am not going to serve you. Leave. If you want to eat here I will poison your food. I am going to poison you. Leave. You Muslims, you are a danger to France.’ Never in the French history have we had such words toward the Muslim community," M'Hammed Henniche with Union of Muslim Associations, said.

This is a time of celebration for Muslims around the world, but in France this year’s Eid festival is a rather muted affair.

With Islamaphobia on the rise there is a fear here that big public displays of religiosity will attract unwanted attention and further deepen the divide in French society.