Excerpt:
A relatively new Muslim political party, that wants to overturn the veil ban, is eyeing up a stronger presence on the French political landscape, announcing on Thursday that it will field candidates in eight areas at next month's regional elections.
The Democratic Union of French Muslims (UDMF) wants to tackle the under-representation of Muslims in French politics.
The group said on Thursday that it would put two candidates forward in the Paris suburb of Bobigny, where the party already succeeded in getting its candidate elected as a councillor last year.