Marine Le Pen Adviser Found Guilty of Inciting Hatred against Muslims

Robert Menard, mayor of Beziers, was fined 2,000 euros for saying there were too many Muslim children in his city's schools, The Independent reported.

It comes after Le Pen announced she was temporarily stepping down as leader of the Front National party to concentrate on her presidential bid.

The move has been seen as an attempt to distance herself from the party's racist image and embrace a wider range of voters.

During an interview on TV, Menard said, "In one of the classrooms in my town center, 91 percent of children are Muslim. Obviously, this is a problem".

He had also posted a tweet comparing a school picture from the 1970s to one taken recently which he said proved the conspiracy theory of a "great replacement," which claims Muslim immigrants are replacing the traditional French population.

The prosecutor said Menard had reduced children "to their religion, regardless of whether they have French nationality or do not practice".

Menard was convicted of an "incitement to hatred and discrimination".