Muslims of France

What challenges have generations of Muslim immigrants in France been facing to retain their cultural identity?

Al Jazeera World Last Modified: 07 Dec 2011 12:52

There are an estimated five million Muslims in France today, which is the largest such population in Western Europe.

A century ago, they were called "colonials"; in the 1960s, they were known as "immigrants"; today, they are "citizens".

With issues of immigration and integration raising the political temperature in Europe, this three-part series looks back at the history of Muslim immigration into France. It is a history that remains alive today, with the ongoing debate over how to reconcile France's long-standing tradition of secularism with religious diversity.

What challenges have Muslim immigrants in France faced and overcome in order to retain their cultural identity in a foreign country?

remainder: http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/aljazeeraworld/2011/11/201111289409986278.html

They aren't quite "Nail that sticks up gets hammered down" lockstep like the Japanese, but they've always been that way, even when they were actively colonizing. They put French systems into place, French-style school systems, French as a second language...the whole schmear.

The secularism is, IMO, a bit of a canard. I think if people looked French, acted French, ate and drank French, and dressed French, and didn't worship publicly, they'd be a bit more relaxed.

OR....if all of their immigrants were Roman Catholics--even "bad" Catholics, as many French are--they'd lighten up on the secular stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_France

...Religion is traditionally considered a private matter and depending on the context, it may be considered inquisitive to enter religious discussions. Communautarisme, meaning the forming of ethnic or religious communities separate from mainstream life, is much present but often considered suspicious. The separation of religion from government power is legally referred to as laïcité, in force since the Jules Ferry laws passed at the end of the 19th century and the 1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and the State.<3>

Left wing politicians generally do not discuss their religious beliefs, or lack thereof, and seldom use religious arguments in political debates, with the notable exception of Jacques Delors. Centrist politicians such as François Bayrou or conservative politicians such as Union for a Popular Movement member Christine Boutin (see PACS civil union) are much more vocal about their faith.

Religious expressions and Biblical references are coming back in public rhetoric and during the 2007 presidential campaign, Nicolas Sarkozy and Ségolène Royal, both raised as Roman Catholics, made a number of references to their faiths.<4><5> For the first time ever, the French media asked all candidates to declare their religious affiliations; out of 12 candidates, all but one accepted to answer.<6> One of the more significant signs of change is on the left: the anti-globalisation activist José Bové feels close to Christianity, Marie-Georges Buffet, head of the fading French Communist Party strongly opposes any anti-religious interpretations of French secularism.<7> However, both of them stop short of self-identifying as believers. Nicolas Sarkozy sees France's main religions as positive contributions to French society. He was elected on a platform proposing changes to the Republic's century-old principle of secularism.<8> He visited the pope in December 2007 and publicly acknowledged France's Christian roots, while highlighting the importance of freedom of thought,<9> hinting that faith should come back into the public sphere.

Islamic fundamentalism is considered by some to be a threat for the cohesion of the French society, although many, including the Canard Enchaîné, Libération and other left-wing newspapers claim that the Minister of Interior overplays the threat in order to justify certain policies. Reasons for tensions include the desire of a very few imams and other Muslims not to abide by French laws, regulations and customs. Following rare cases of conflicts about Muslim girls breaching school dress regulations or refusing to attend certain classes, the French government adopted in 2004 the then controversial French law on secularity and conspicuous religious symbols in schools. On the other hand, Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy has created the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM), which has been widely criticized by secular-minded politicians (mainly by supporters of Jacques Chirac) as a sign of Sarkozy's alleged multiculturalism. These tensions echo earlier quarrels with respect to the influence of the Roman Catholic Church in French society and the influence of the Pope in French public affairs (see gallicanism vs ultramontanism.)