French Islamophobia
How Orthopraxy Is Conceptualized as a Public Peril
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3383016 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Christina Lienen (0009-0001-7952-5998, British University in Dubai, corresponding author), Samir Sweida-Metwally (0000-0002-6509-6184, New York University Abu Dhabi, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 64 |
| Publication date | 2025-01-09 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Religions (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/rel16010064 |
| OpenAlex | W4406216548 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 33 |
For over two decades, France's Muslim population has faced a series of legal measures and hostile public narratives aimed at problematizing their faith. Notable examples include the 2004 national ban on "ostentatious religious symbols" in state schools, which prohibits obligatory religious dress in various settings. These individual instances are compounded by more recent broader policies, decisions, laws, and executive statements that negatively impact Muslim life. This paper examines France's trajectory from a new perspective: A Muslim legal viewpoint. It argues that the French approach constitutes a two-step process of institutionalized Islamophobia, understood here as hostility towards Islam as a faith. First, the state redefines mainstream Islamic orthopraxy as "extreme", pitting ordinary religious practices against averred Republican values. Second, it seeks to promote an alternative concept of a "French Islam"-one that aligns with France's secular principles and is stripped of its religious essence-positioning it as the only acceptable framework for Muslims to practice their faith in France. We argue that this process is not about upholding laïcité or state neutrality; rather, invoking the latter serves as a smokescreen for the state's Islamophobia
Epistemology · Faith · Islam · Islamophobia · Mainstream · Narrative · Neutrality · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Theology · Law · Migration, Refugees, and Integration · Multiculturalism, Politics, Migration, Gender · Religion and Society Interactions
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| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |