Macron's ‘French Islam' echoes repressive policies of Gulf regimes
-
Loading... - Max Schneider
- 03 Nov 2022
- 64 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
Amid an ongoing controversy over religious attire in public schools, French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a strategic speech at the Grand Mosque of Paris last month to commemorate its centenary.
After retracing the mosque’s history, Macron delineated its overarching vision of an Islam “faithful to the values of the Republic”. Referencing these alleged “values” has become a prerequisite among the French political establishment when addressing Islam and Muslims. This vaguely defined reference conceals a deeper political meaning: that Islam, in order for it to be tolerated, must conform to the state’s guidelines.
The “values of the Republic” have become boundaries delimiting the political space within which Islam and French Muslims must operate - a space that only recognises political submission.
According to Macron, Islam must be “compatible with the Republic”. Indeed, incompatibility indicates a clear form of “separatism”, a concept the president began using two years ago when he introduced a bill to combat “radical Islamism”. Read More...
