Iranian President Won't Meet French President Unless France Serves Halal Meat And Abstains From Wine

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has been to the US, China, Afghanistan, and Turkey, but France might be off his first Eurotrip itinerary, simply due to wine.

Wine-free meal with halal meat

French officials refuse to entertain Rouhani meeting President François Hollande for formal meal in Paris because Iran wants a "wine-free meal with halal meat", the Washington Post reported, something that was "culinary sacrilege in France", due to the nation's fiercely secular stance.

Instead, they might meet for a face-to-face chat next week.  Rouhani has scheduled meetings in Rome (with Italian PM Matteo Renzi and Pope Francis), as well as Italian companies, and he'll speak at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and meet with French officials and companies.

For France, signs of “Islamification” are increasingly becoming a sore point in a multiculturalism vs. European identity debate.