French government reports 2005 decline in racial, religious attacks News
French government reports 2005 decline in racial, religious attacks

[JURIST] French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin [official website, BBC profile] announced [press release] Monday that the number of anti-Semitic and racist acts reported in France [JURIST news archive] dropped significantly in 2005. Anti-Semitic acts (defined as violence or threats of violence) dropped 47 percent, while racist and xenophobic acts decreased by 22 percent. De Villepin noted the decreases while promising more measures to target discrimination. In October, riots [JURIST report] started by immigrant youth broke out across the country and lasted three weeks, leading the government to declare a state of emergency. A law [text in French; Guardian report] passed in February 2005 requiring French history teachers to stress the positive role of French colonialism also precipitated domestic controversy, tension [JURIST report] with Algeria, and a call [JURIST report] by President Jacques Chirac [official profile] for the law to be overturned. France is home to Europe's largest Muslim and Jewish populations. De Villepin's announcement came the same day that a new French poll [AFP report] indicated that more than four of every five French people believe their government has not yet come up with a solution to the ethnic discrimination problem. Reuters has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Pope Urban II sparks First Crusade

Pope Urban II threw his support behind what would become the First Crusade on November 27, 1095 during the Council of Clairmont. The Pope urged the council's participants to render aid to the Byzantine Empire, which was being attacked by the Seljuks. Pope Urban called for a wide coalition of rich and poor to combat the threat, which eventually resulted in the conquest of much of the Muslim-controlled Levant by the Crusaders and the establishment of the Crusader States. Read Pope Urban's address.  

Catholic Code of Canon Law revised

On November 27, 1983, the revised Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church went into effect. Learn more about the history of Canon Law from Professor Kenneth Pennington of the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law.

Alfred Nobel creates Nobel Prize in his will

On November 27, 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his will, creating the Nobel Prize. Learn more about the history of the Nobel Prize and the Nobel Commission.