CAIRO, September 24, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – Muslims serving in the French army are routinely mocked at, discriminated against and sometimes denied their religious rights, according to a new report.

The report, entitled French Servicemen of Immigrant Origin, found that racist jokes and derogatory remarks are often played on Muslims inside the military establishment, Le Figaro reported on Friday, September 24.

French soldiers make fun of their Muslim peers by trying to mimic their native accent when speaking in French, according to the report, undertaken by the independent French Institute of International Relations (IFRI).

Though Muslim servicemen are allowed halal meals and flexible working hours during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, this is not the custom inside the army.

It is done randomly and not systematic as many Muslim servicemen do not get their halal meals for days, said the report.

The military top brass are increasingly opposed to allow Muslim servicemen to practice their religion, it added.

Founded in 1979, IFRI is France's leading independent international relations center dedicated to policy-oriented research and analysis of global political affairs.

Its aim is to enrich the policy making process by providing public and private sector decision-makers with strategic insights and fostering interaction between researchers and practitioners.

IFRI, a non-profit organization that has no political affiliation and is not subject to any form of government supervision, also serves as a permanent public forum for researchers and policy makers.

The report further said Muslim servicemen are disappointed at the way they are being treated, always feeling on the defensive.

Many of them are trying to mask their origin to spare themselves suspicious looks and troubles, it noted.

"The patriotism of the servicemen of Muslim and immigrant origin remains questionable in the eyes of their native peers," said Christophe Betrossi, the report's author.

He found that servicemen of immigrant origin are more patriotic than others and more enthusiastic in fighting terrorism, which tarnishes Islam.

When asked which side they will take if France fought against their native countries, those surveyed said they would fight alongside the French army.

Although the army has agreed to enlist the service of Muslim chaplains, it is reluctant to give Muslim servicemen more facilities to perform their religious rituals, said the report.

In January, the French Defense Ministry assigned a Muslim army colonel to study the possibility of setting up a department for Muslim chaplains to meet the spiritual needs of Muslims serving in the army.

Hassan Al-Alawi Al-Talibi became in May the first Muslim army chaplain.

There are 218 Catholic, 55 Protestant and 30 Jewish army clergymen currently serving in the French army.