With the recent bans on religious wear in public in France, many, especially French Muslims, are

asking the same question: can Muslims ever be integrated into the secular French society?

Rooted in French identity is Laicite, a concept of “freedom from religion,” condensed into
French policy in 1905 aiming to free public space and services from any religious ties. Roughly
translating into "secularism," the intent is to maintain strict separation between the French
Catholic church and state.

The history of the relationship between France and headscarves have been strained. In 2004, all
“conspicuous religious clothing,” including large crosses, headscarves, turbans, and hijabs, were
banned in public middle and high schools. In 2011, face veils were banned from all public
spaces, and more recently in 2023, the highest French court, Cour de Cassation, upheld that the
bans on abayas were legal. The series of bans on these clothing items sparked public debate,
bringing issues such as immigration, secularism, and gender equality onto the table. “[The hijab
is] part of me,” said Sara Zemmahi, a candidate running local elections in Montpellier, “but it
doesn’t prevent me from being a French citizen, from working in my neighborhood, from
participating.” [1]. Nevertheless, a stunning 82% of the French public support the ban of full
veils in public spaces. [2]

Laicite has become a word wielded by the right-wing populists when it comes to debates on
Islam’s relation to French identity. Borderlining fundamentalism, laicite has been used to back up
several policies on public religiosity. In 2021, French president Emmanuel Macron passed an
anti-radicalism bill that allows the Republic to more easily monitor and regulate schools, places
of religious worship, and clubs to better hamper the growing radicalization of young Muslim
youth. Stemming from a fear of religiously-motivated violence, supporters of the anti-radicalism
bill argue that stricter regulations on religious organizations will lead to less radicalization, less
violence.

Earlier in 2021, French Minister of Interior Gerald Darmanin introduced an anti-separatism bill
that seems to suggest that Islam is inherently linked to the growing violence and radicalization.
On the grounds of preserving “public order,” this bill gave rise to a series of inspections,
closures, and tightened control on religious organizations. While the bill aims to counter all
separatist organizations, the Muslim community feels targeted. With headscarves, hijabs, and
abayas, Islam is “more visible than other religions,” demonstrating how the banning of all
religious symbols in public most significantly impacts Muslim women.

In September of 2020, the French state’s dissolution of Collective Against Islamophobia in

France (CCIF) was approved. Though the organization focused on fighting discrimination
against Muslims in France, it was accused of transgressing a vaguely defined anti-terrorist
policy, resulting in its dissolution. A month later, France-based Muslim charity BarakaCity was
dissolved by the French government on the suspicions of ties to “radical Islamist movements.”
While the charity denied all accusations, the suspicion lingers, further reinforcing the
misconception that Islam is linked to violence. Senior researcher at the European Union Eva
Cosse describes these events as “part of a broader crackdown by French authorities in response
to attacks attributed to Islamist extremists.” Cosse writes that “the closure of CCIF [would]
likely have a chilling effect on freedom of expression.” [3]

France is the home to one of the largest Muslim communities in Europe, taking up to 5.6% of the
mainland French population [4] Muslims are overrepresented in the working class and only a
small percentage of management-level employees are Muslims. In a 2016 report published by the
Institut Montaigne, an independent nonprofit based in Paris, France, survey results show that
“there is no single ‘Muslim community’ nor an organized ‘Islamic separatism.’” [4] Based on a
series of socio-demographic and typology surveys, the report concluded that within the Muslim
community, Muslim-identifying individuals are divided on topics such as headscarves in public,
attitudes towards the French government, and involvement in their religion.

Considering the diversity in political orientation in the French Muslim community, the French
Republic’s should not fear Islamic separatism; rather, they should seek ways to reintegrate
Muslims into society. The report also observed that “the most well-integrated individuals are
those most likely to renounce very austere approaches to Islam,” highlighting the significance of
social acceptance in countering radicalization.

If Islam were to peacefully integrate into French secularism culture, compassion and
accommodations towards their way of life–such as by guaranteeing halal food and giving
Muslim women the choice to wear hijabs–can cultivate true “freedom to worship.”

Sources

[1] Mellen, Ruby. “French Muslim women push back on the politics of the hijab.” The
Washington Post. June 19, 2021.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2021/french-muslim-hijab/
[2] “Widespread Support For Banning Full Islamic Veil in Western Europe.” Pew Research
Center. July 8, 2010.
https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2010/07/08/widespread-support-for-banning-full-islamic-vei
l-in-western-europe/
[3] Cosse, Eva. “French Court Confirms Dissolution of Anti-Discrimination Group.” Human
Rights Watch. September 27, 2021.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/09/27/french-court-confirms-dissolution-anti-discrimination-gro
up
[4] Karoui, Hakim El. “A French Islam is Possible.” Institut Montaigne. September 2016.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/09/27/french-court-confirms-dissolution-anti-discrimination-gro
up