France’s far-right Presidential Candidate Marine Le Pen walked away from a meeting on Tuesday with Lebanon’s senior Muslim Sunni cleric after she refused to wear a headscarf.
Le Pen, who was on a three-day visit to Lebanon, was scheduled to meet Grand Mufti Abdel Latif Derian.
According to a statement from the grand mufti’s office, Le Pen refused to put on a headscarf as is customary when visiting the senior cleric.
As Le Pen arrived at the grand mufti’s office in the capital Beirut, she was given a headscarf to wear before entering the meeting, but she refused, pointing out that she had met the grand mufti of Egypt, of the al-Azhar institution without wearing a veil.
She then walked back toward her car and left after sending her regards to Sheikh Derian.
The statement added that Le Pen’s team had been informed beforehand of the need to don a headscarf during the meeting as it was an adopted protocol.
The statement regretted “this disposition which is not appropriate in such meetings.’’
Le Pen then went to meet Christian Patriarch Bashra al-Rai.
On Monday, Le Pen held meetings with Lebanese President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Saad Hariri, during which she stressed the importance of cooperation between Lebanon and France to combat Islamic extremism. (NAN)
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