Hollande Vows Penalties for Hate Speech

French President François Hollande said Monday he wants to introduce stricter sanctions for “racist, anti-Semitic, or homophobic” comments as religious tensions grow in the wake of recent terrorist attacks on a French kosher market, a satirical newspaper, and a synagogue in Denmark. Speaking at a dinner for France’s central Jewish organization, Hollande said the he wants “such speech to come under criminal law rather than press laws.” The tougher penalties are expected to be introduced under a draft intelligence bill next month, Hollande said. Concerns over anti-Semitism have intensified in France, which is home to about half a million Jews. Hollande also urged the country to protect its Muslim community, adding that about 10,000 security forces have been deployed to protect synagogues, mosques, schools, and cultural centers and will remain “as long as necessary.”