French Muslims Will Choose Islam over France If Challenged: Analyst
The French government has ramped up pressure against Muslims in the past months and with the elections ahead, some right and far-right candidates are explicitly using an Islamophobic tone in their campaigns. To further discuss the situation, IQNA has reached out to Abdennour Toumi, North Africa studies expert at ORSAM Center (Center for Middle East Studies), an Ankara-based think tank.
Asked whether Muslims would be forced to migrate from France with all these pressures, the expert said: “No Muslims are not going anywhere.”
“When it comes to the identity question, Muslims have the right to show their identity and they are not in a state of denial,” Toumi said.
“Eric Zemmour makes this statement in his programs that Muslims have to choose between Islam and France but if the question comes directly as a challenge, I will argue the answer will be too easy; Yes, they will pick Islam over France.”
Here is the full video of Toumi’s interview with IQNA about the situation of Muslims in France:
“I do not say French Muslims in France are oppressed but they are targeted; oppression is too severe because after all, France is still a kind of free country as people can fight for their civil and political rights in courts of France and the European Union,” he also said.
He believes the issue of Islamophobia in France can be linked with racism. “The issue has shifted from its ethnic dynamic into a religious dynamic. Today we speak about Muslims but a few years ago we spoke about Arabs.”
“This far-right, xenophobe, racist party of Eric Zemmour is surfing on the frustration of the French white who are conventionally conservative,” noted the expert.
“It Is Not about Hijab, But about Islam”
Elsewhere, talking about the issue of hijab, he said: “When it comes to the hijab issue, there is a political consensus among French politicians, establishment, and the media.”
The issue, he maintains, is not about hijab, rather, it is about Islam as politicians and the media are in paranoia about what they call radical political Islam; they feel that this symbolic hijab is challenging the principle of laicite even though the laicite protects the minorities
“Muslim Countries Not Helping”
“Unfortunately, the French politicians are showing this muscles toward the Muslims with the implicit or explicit and direct or indirect help of some Arab and Muslim countries,” Toumi said.
Arab countries are not helping well or are not helping at all to raise the issue of Islamophobia and racism in France against the Muslims, he highlighted.
“The weakest link has played in favor of the French authorities to further marginalize Muslims and also the aim of the French authorities is very simple as they want to domesticate the Muslims especially when they speak about the new IslamoFrance.”
He also urged the Muslim community to get together and look for a model such as CAIR that is active in the US. “And also Muslims, especially the youth need to go and vote if they want their voice to be heard.”
Interview by Mohammad Ali Haqshenas
