We’re delighted to present this report on Islamophobia in France, an international collaboration published in partnership with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in London.
Report author Yasser Louati analyses how the French concept of Laïcité has been abused by the state to target the Muslim community, excluding Muslims from public and civic life. He highlights the critical legacy of colonialism in shaping the way French Muslims are treated today and details the varying ways in which actors across the political spectrum have targeted Muslim visibility in public spaces. The crackdown on civil liberties initiated by successive French governments has been used not only to target Muslims, but also labour and social movement actors.
Most importantly, Louati calls for empowering Muslim voices in the public and political sphere. Only by moving away from white-centered forms of political organising can left and progressive movements be truly representative. This diversity is critical to build the broad electoral and social base necessary for our movements to succeed against the growing threat of authoritarianism and the far-right.
An introduction and concluding chapter from Another Europe Campaigns Officer Seema Syeda explores the international context, putting forward practical suggestions about how we can organise internationally to tackle anti-Muslim hatred.
29th November 2022