A weekend that saw mosques across France fling open their doors in bid to foster integration and overturn negative stereotypes about Muslims has been hailed as successful first step, but fears remain over the wellbeing of a community which has suffered "retaliatory" violence and increased racism over the past year.
From Saturday morning, visitors of all and no religious background have walked into some of the approximately 2,400 mosques from Paris to Toulouse during the open-house event for tours, talks, and to meet and speak to Muslims over tea and snacks.
The weekend was organised by the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM), which is supported by the government. 
It came as France marks the one-year anniversary of attacks at the Paris-based offices of the Charlie Hebdo magazine, and a Jewish supermarket in which 17 people were killed.
On Sunday in the capital, thousands gathered at the Place de la Republique to mark the anniversary.
The open-house weekend also came two months after November 13, when armed attackers carried out deadly violence in the French capital that killed 130 people.
Both attacks were claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, triggering a backlash on France's Muslim minority.
"I think at a time when Muslims are the target of the government, but also of the extreme right wing, anti-Muslim sentiment is constantly growing. It's a very good thing to see that Muslims are willing to reach out and show people they’re part of this country, they are French, they stand for peace and also show that they shouldn’t be afraid," Rim-Sarah Alouane, a researcher at the Toulouse 1 University Capitole, told Al Jazeera.
"This initiative is a first step towards something bigger."
Alouane's research focuses on religious freedom, civil liberties and human rights.
 5.5 million and 6.2 million Muslims in France, or roughly 7.6 per cent of total population.
"2016 is going to be a tough year. We should not forget the presidential election is coming soon (in April 2017), and everybody is playing the fear-mongering card. The best way to get the votes of the extreme right is to play with those fears," added Alouane, as she recommended the government make Muslims "part of the solution, not the problem".
"I am afraid that Muslims will give up and stay in their own little worlds instead of fighting for their rights. They should show they are here and part of this society. My only hope is that they will reach out more associations and reach out to the government even more to fight for their rights," she said, adding that many Muslims increasingly feel like second-class citizens because under the current state of emergency launched after the November 13 attacks, Muslim's homes and businesses have been raided and mosques have been closed. 
"This kind of [open-house] initiative … it's a good beginning, but it's not enough," said Alouane, explaining that members of the government should do more to encourage unity.
n the event was announced, CFCM president Anouar Kbibech said the aim was to address the "current climate of suspicion and distrust" towards Muslims, adding that he hoped "that in 2016 , all fellow citizens of all faiths - believers and non-believers - will work together towards unity."
Yasser Louati, spokesman for the Collective Against Islamophobia (CCIF) in France, said: "I think [the open-house event is a] great initiative and should have been done a long time ago in order to break down barriers between people." 
Speaking to Al Jazeera, he added: "In French media, we hear about Muslims, but we don't hear from Muslims themselves. It’s been a success … it's a good thing. I hope these events can be organised on a regular basis so local mosques can connect with local communities."
France is witnessing, he added, "a growing polarisation of society". 
Looking ahead, CCIF is working to form a lobby group which will protest a constitutional amendment proposal, supported by French President Francois Hollande. The amendment would include the government's right to declare a state of emergency and strip dual-nationality citizens convicted of "severe crimes against the nation".
According to Le Monde, some 3.3 million people have dual citizenship in France.