Lévy, un ami qui vous veut du bien

The (mis)appropriation of Islamic practices in Bernard-Henri Lévy’s fulfilling of France’s mission civilisatrice

Bibliographic Data

ID18964643
AuthorsFabrice Roger (0000-0002-8180-9375, University of Bristol, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume46
Issue4
Pages463-478
Publication date2021-12-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueContemporary French Civilization (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0147-9156 • E-ISSN: 2044-396X
PublisherLiverpool University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.3828/cfc.2021.26
OpenAlexW4200615942
LanguageFR
References cited14

This article analyses the dynamics of cultural (mis)appropriation underpinning Bernard-Henri Lévy’s (BHL) catchphrase islam des Lumières. Be it against the backdrop of global terrorism in Qui a tué Daniel Pearl?, that of Franco-French societal issues in Ce grand cadavre à la renverse, that of French interventionism in La Guerre sans l’aimer, or that of homegrown terrorism in “Le moment churchillien de la Ve république,” BHL warns against the danger of a certain form of Islam whilst advocating an “enlightened” Islam that is, for him, compatible with French republican values. To this end, he (mis)appropriates conspicuous Islamic practices by claiming that they have nothing to do with Islam. Thus, BHL’s islam des Lumières is invisible and reduced to a cultural heritage that is void of religious practices. Drawing from cultural studies, social sciences, postcolonial studies, and African American studies, this article will argue that BHL is a “well-meaning colonizer;” a paternalist who seeks to fulfil France’s mission civilisatrice by (mis)appropriating Islamic practices in order to tell Muslims how to live their faith

Appropriation · Epistemology · Faith · Humanities · Islam · Sociology · Theology · Islamic Studies and History · Multiculturalism, Politics, Migration, Gender · North African History and Literature · Philosophy · Religious studies

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