Europe's Muslims feel heat of backlash after Paris terror attack

// Shamsul Basunia //

Firebombs and pig heads thrown into mosques. Veiled women

subjected to insults in the street. The internet awash

with threats against Muslims. Europe's Muslims

 are feeling the heat of a fierce backlash

 following last week's terror attack

against French satirical

newspaper Charlie

 Hebdo.

An official who keeps track of Islamophobic attacks

 in France said there were 60 incidents

— attacks and threats — in the

 six days since

that attack.

A climate of fear is taking hold in Europe, stoked

by rightist rhetoric equating the millions

of peaceful Muslims with the few

 plotting murder

and mayhem.

Abdallah Zekri, head of the National Observatory

 Against Islamophobia, said that since

last Wednesday's massacre at

Charlie Hebdo, 26 places

of worship around France

 were attacked by

firebombs, gunshots

 or pig heads,

with a mosque in

Le Mans hit with

four grenades.

There were 34

 insults and

 threats.