FRANCE AND THE HATED SOCIETY: MUSLIM EXPERIENCES Saied R. Ameli Arzu Merali Ehsan Shahghasemi www.ihrc.org.uk First published in Great Britain in 20 12 by Islamic Human Rights Commission PO Box 598, Wembley, HA9 7XH © 2012 Islamic Human Rights Commission Design & Typeset: Ibrahim Sadikovic All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereinafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. ISBN 9781903718841 Cover image: MICHEL SPINGLER/AP/Press Association Images A policeman looks for evidence after nearly 500 graves of Muslim war veterans were desecrated on the eve of Eid ul-Adha in 2008, near Arras in north-east France. Contents Acknowledgements ........................................................................ 6 Introduction ..................................................................................... 7 Chapter 1 Muslims in France and Europe: A Short History of Subalternisation ............................................................................... 9 Chapter 2 Muslims in Today’s France .......................................................... 20 Chapter 3 Discursive Racism as Human Rights Violations ...................... 37 Chapter 4 Theory and Research Method ..................................................... 59 Chapter 5 Research results ............................................................................ 62 Demographic specifications of Muslim respondents in France ...................................................................................... 63 The effects of demographic variables on experiencing hate crime in France ....................................................................... 75 Effect of mediation variables on hate crimes and Experiences in France ............................................................ 94 Effect of demographic variables on the experience of hateful policies ........................................................................ 97 Analysing open-ended questions ..................................... 99 Chapter 6 Conclusion .................................................................................... 112 Recommendations & Concluding Thoughts .......................... 122 Appendix A ................................................................................. 126 Appendix B .................................................................................. 127 Notes ............................................................................................. 135 Bibliography ................................................................................ 137 List of Tables Table 1: Age group frequency distribution ............................................... 61 Table 2: Gender frequency distribution ..................................................... 62 Table 3: Country of birth frequency distribution .................................... 63 Table 4: City or town of residence frequency distribution .................... 63 Table 5: Ethnic origin frequency distribution ........................................... 64 Table 6: Country of citizenship frequency distribution ......................... 65 Table 7: Marital status frequency distribution ......................................... 65 Table 8: The Muslim visibility level frequency distribution ................. 66 Table 9: The proportion of Muslims in the neighbourhood frequency distribution ............................................................................................ 67 Table 10: Income group frequency distribution ...................................... 68 Table 11: Education frequency distribution .............................................. 69 Table 12: Work status frequency distribution .......................................... 70 Table 13: Religiosity frequency distribution ............................................. 70 Table 14: The frequency of hate crimes experienced by Muslims in France ..................................................................................................... 72 Table 15: Effect of age on experience of physical assault ....................... 74 Table 16: Effect of age on experience of hearing racially or culturally offensive remarks ................................................................................ 75 Table 17: Effect of gender on experience of others reacting as if they were intimidated or afraid ................................................................ 76 Table 18: Effect of gender on experience of being expected to be less competent because of Islam / hijab ................................................. 77 Table 19: Effect of gender on experience of verbal abuse ....................... 77 Table 20: Effect of income group on experience of being ignored in public places .......................................................................................... 78 Table 21: Effect of income group on experience of verbal abuse .......... 79 Table 22: Effect of education on experience of being told you are oversensitive or paranoid about racism .......................................... 80 Table 23: Effect of education on experience of being insulted or harassed .................................................................................................. 83 Table 24: Effect of education on experience of physical assault ............ 84 Table 25: Effect of work status on experience of being laughed at or mocked ................................................................................................... 85 Table 26: Effect of work status on experience of being physically avoided ................................................................................................... 86 Table 27: Effect of work status on experience of being insulted or harassed .................................................................................................. 87 Table 28: Effect of religiosity on experience of being insulted or harassed .................................................................................................. 88 Table 29: Effect of religiosity on experience of being expected to fit stereotypes of a Muslim ................................................................. 89 Table 30: Effect of religiosity on experience of being talked down to .. 91 Table 31: Effect of being visibly Muslim on experiencing verbal abuse ....................................................................................................... 92 Table 32: Effect of being visibly Muslim on experience of being expected to be less competent because of Islam / hijab .............. 93 Table 33: Effect of being visibly Muslim on experience of being laughed at or mocked .......................................................................................... 94 Table 34: Effect of demographic values on experience of hateful policies .................................................................................................... 96 List of Charts Chart 1: Domination Hate Model of Intercultural Relations (DHMIR) .. 61 Chart 2: Reasons for hate ideology development amongst people ..... 98 Chart 3: Political reasons for hate spreading against Muslims ........... 102 Chart 4: Experiencing hate practice ......................................................... 107 Chart 5: Negative Muslim experiences according to category ............ 111 Chart 6: Average percentage of negative experiences of Muslims in 29 categories according to frequency ........................................ 113 Chart 7: Average percentage of negative experiences of Muslims in 29 categories based on age groups ............................................. 114 Chart 8: Average percentage of negative experiences of Muslims in 29 categories based on gender ......................................................... 114 Chart 9: Average percentage of negative experiences of Muslims in 29 categories based on income status ........................................ 115 Chart 10: Average percentage of negative experiences of Muslims in 29 categories based on education ............................................... 116 Chart 11: Average percentage of negative experiences of Muslims in 29 categories based on work status ............................................ 117 Chart 12: Average percentage of negative experiences of Muslims in 29 categories based on religiosity ............................................... 118 Chart 13: Average percentage of negative experiences of Muslims in 29 categories based on the extension of being visibly Muslim .. 119 6 France and the Hated Society: Muslim Experiences Acknowledgements The authors of the report would like to thank Ebrahim Mohsen Ahooiee for his contribution to this report and the following for their work on this report and their support. For their time and dedication and support to this report and the project special thanks to Nora Rami, Nawel Rieg, Dr Abdallah Thomas Milcent, Mohammed El-Sayed Bushra and Ihsan Abdullah. Further help, advice and support were gratefully received from Foued Bourabiet, Samy Debah, Houria Bouteldja, Andrea Meza Torres, Liz Fekete, Assed Baig, Nick Rodrigo, Alvin Mabushi, Hussain Araki, Mohammed Kamali and Ramón Grosfoguel. The following organisations must be mentioned for their support but also for their pioneering and difficult work in