Anti-Muslim violence: A wakeup call for European governments

A police check of a Muslim woman wearing the full-face veil recently sparked riots in a Paris suburb, and has reignited a debate about the controversial ban of full-face veils in public spaces from 2011.

However, there is more at stake in such community uprisings than mere opposition to the ban; the riots should also be seen against the background of the rising violence against Muslims in Europe.

Several violent attacks against Muslim women preceded the riots in France. One of th...