ISLAM IN FRANCE

Kim FoersterRichard BilgerSohyun JinEunji Song

Islam ReligionIslam Religion

“Submission to the will of God”

Prophet Muhammad

Qu’ran

Five basic Pillars of Islam

Muslim in FranceMuslim in France

5 million Muslims

Biggest Muslim minority in Europe

Around 2000 mosques and prayer rooms

History of Muslim History of Muslim ImmigrationImmigration

occupation of Spain by the Moors

18th century Imperial expansion: Egypt Algeria West Africa Tunisia Morocco Syria Lebanon

History of Muslim History of Muslim ImmigrationImmigration

Colonial wars of independence (1954-62)

Decolonization- Official recruitment of Labor

Reunification of families (1970~80s) Single male population Nuclear and extended families

Conflicts AriseConflicts Arise Growing number of

Muslims in France

The French fear of Islamic

fundamentalism

The French tradition of secularism

The Hijab DebateThe Hijab Debate First sparked in 1989

2004 Ban on wearing “ostentatious” religious symbols in primary and secondary schools

An ongoing issue

Criticism

Street PrayersStreet Prayers More than 2,000 mosques in France

1,800 more mosques are needed to accommodate French Muslims street prayers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxnM_wgZKRU&feature=related

Street PrayersStreet Prayers

In 2010, far right protests against street prayer

“occupation without tanks or soliders”

“unacceptable”

September 2011, Paris ban on Muslim street prayers

Background on French Background on French MuslimsMuslims

Constitute ~10% of France’s population

An estimated 1.2m voters

Their interests are not adequately represented in government

Forced assimilation through legislation

A Timeline of A Timeline of Restrictions on Muslim Restrictions on Muslim

ExpressionExpression

DiscriminationDiscrimination

Employment discrimination 5% overall unemployment for university

graduates 26.5% unemployment for “North African”

university graduates Christians 2.5x more likely to be hired than

their qualified Muslim counterparts

Immigration

Past Voting TrendsPast Voting Trends

No clear ties with religious and political habits

Voting based more on socioeconomic class

Case Study: Jean-Marie Le Pen

Current Representation Current Representation in Governmentin Government

No Members on National Legislature

2007 Elections more candidates ran for Parliament

Representatives on the European Parliament

Cabinet Members appointed by president

Interest GroupsInterest Groups 1500 Muslim Organizations in France

Main Interlocutor of the State: CFCM

Other Major Groups: UOIF, FNMF, RMF

Different Approaches to Issues

Human Rights GroupsHuman Rights Groups CCIF

“improving the information concerning the social expression of Islamophobia in France” help victims with legal advice

CNCDH governmental organization documented 352 violent acts in 2005

What issues are What issues are important?important?

Lack of Mosque Space

No Street Prayer

Head Scarf Ban

Muslim Voting TodayMuslim Voting Today Lean towards the Left

2007 Elections

82% of Muslims didn’t vote for Sarkozy

2012 Elections

Sarkozy, Le Pen, Hollande

“personal priorities are those of mutual respect, the undoing of increased racist rhetoric in politics, and their acception as equal French citizens, not withstanding their cultural differences”

What do you think?What do you think?

Are the laws banning religious practices such as wearing hijab and public prayer prohibiting the rights of Muslims or promoting equality?

How can Muslims receive more representation in the government?

How might France’s political culture be affected if the Muslim minority continues to increase?

Works CitedWorks Cited Alhéritière, Antoine. “French Arabs and the 2012 Presidential

Elections.” Arabs Think. N.p., 17 Oct. 2011. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. <http://arabsthink.com/arabs-and-the-presidential-elections/>.

“Being Muslim in France.” Brookings. N.p., 2006. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. <http://www.brookings.edu/chapter.pdf>.

“France.” Focus Migration. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. <http://focus-migration.hwwi.de/.1231.0.html?&L=1>.

“France imposes first niqab fines.” BBC News. N.p., 22 Sept. 2011. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/europe-15013383>.

“France News (2012 Presidential Election).” The New York Times. N.p., 19 Oct. 1992. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. <http://topics.nytimes.com/.html>.

“French Muslims protest Paris’s ban on street prayer.” Jafria News. N.p., 18 Sept. 2011. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. <http://jafrianews.com/muslims-protest-paris%E2%80%99s-ban-on-street-prayer/>.

Works CitedWorks Cited Giry, Stephanie. “France and Its Muslims.” RealClearPolitics. N.p.,

9 Oct. 2006. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. <http://www.realclearpolitics.com/_and_its_muslims_1.html>.

Iqbal, Nomia. “Ban on Muslim women covering faces with veils in France.” BBC Newsbeat. N.p., 11 Apr. 2011. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/>.

“Islam at a glance.” BBC. N.p., 30 June 2009. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/.shtml>.

Kern, Soeren. “Islam Overtaking Catholicism in France.” Hudson New York. N.p., 18 Aug. 2011. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. <http://www.hudson-ny.org//islam-overtaking-catholicism>.

“Little Protest in Paris as a Ban on Street Prayer Begins.” The New York Times. N.p., 16 Sept. 2011. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/begins-enforcing-ban-on-street-prayer.html?_r=1>.

Works CitedWorks Cited “Muslim Immigrants in France.” Migration News. N.p., Apr. 1995. Web. 27

Oct. 2011. <http://migration.ucdavis.edu//.php?id=617_0_4_0>.

“Paris ban on Muslim street prayers comes into effect.” BBC News. N.p., 16 Sept. 2011. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/world-europe-14945467>.

Samuel, Henry. “Le Pen secures surprise support from Muslims.” The Telegraph. N.p., 2 Apr. 2007. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/Pen-secures-surprise-support-from-Muslims.html>.

Sebian, Elizabeth, and Jennifer Selby, eds. “Islam in France.” Euro Islam: News and Analysis on Islam in Europe and North America. N.p., 2007. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. <http://www.euro-islam.info/profiles/>.

Seljuq, Affan. “Cultural Conflictions: North African Immigrants in France.” The International Journal of Peace Studies. George Mason University, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. <http://www.gmu.edu/_2/.htm>.

“Why Muslims Vote For Le Pen.” Gallia Watch. N.p., 26 Nov. 2006. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. <http://galliawatch.blogspot.com/muslims-vote-for-le-pen.html>.