Political scientist: Islamophobia now embedded in French law and politics

Speaking at a United Nations human rights conference in Geneva on September 30, renowned French political scientist François Burgat sharply criticised what he described as “institutional segregation” targeting Muslims in France.

Invited by the international human rights organisation Cojep International, Burgat delivered a critical analysis of France’s political stance toward its Muslim population, particularly in the wake of the country’s controversial 2021 “separatism” law.

“The 2021 law had already begun to take effect before its formal adoption,” Burgat said, pointing to the dissolution of the Collective Against Islamophobia in France (CCIF) as a key moment marking increased repression.

The law, passed in 2021, was aimed at combating so-called separatist tendencies and expanded government oversight of associations, religious institutions, and foreign funding. Burgat argued that in its aftermath, the state initiated a “cascade of measures” targeting Muslim civil society, including community organisations, schools, and publishers.

He further contended that widespread political support for Israel across party lines is often underpinned by Islamophobia, and that public discourse in France tends to criminalise Palestinian figures instead of engaging with international legal frameworks.

Rejecting the notion that France's tensions with its Muslim population are rooted in religious conflict, Burgat framed the issue as a postcolonial struggle, asserting that French society resists recognising the fourth generation of Muslims as equal participants in national discourse.

“This generation now has the language, education, and cultural fluency to make itself heard,” he said, calling this development a democratic milestone that directly confronts the rise of far-right narratives. He warned that Islamophobic and identity-driven nationalism, once confined to the political fringes, has now entered the mainstream — including segments of the French left.

Despite the growing visibility and confidence of France’s Muslim population, Burgat expressed concern over the absence of a strong ideological counterbalance to the dominant discourse.

“For now, I am pessimistic,” he admitted, though he voiced hope that future political shifts might yet prove him wrong.

By Tamilla Hasanova