European Immigration

In recent years, Europe has seen an influx of Muslim immigrants enter into its countries.  There are many who feel that the growing Muslim population is a threat to European society.  In his book The Death of the West, Patrick Buchanan expresses his belief that, over time, the world will be run by, not the current majority, but the underprivileged minority.  The main cause of this hypothesis comes from the numbers being reported in Europe.  Particularly in France, the birth rate has dropped significantly to just 1.9 children per French couple; this figure is even lower amongst families who are more educated.  But what caused this decline?  One theory is the advent of contraception and easier access to abortion facilities and methods.  However, these means have been available for many years without consequence to the population.  Buchanan also suggests that as a society becomes richer, they no longer desire a large family and instead focus their financial energy towards such things as high-tech gadgets and extravagant vacations.  Meanwhile, the less privileged of the society continue to reproduce.  Over time, the richer population is replaced by the poor who begin to rise in rank, thus starting the process over again.[1]  However, while this does seem, in theory, to be an imminent threat, other factors must be brought into play before making judgments towards the Muslim population.

        Over the years, the European population has steadily declined and is being replaced by immigrants from surrounding countries.  This fact has been stated in too many sources to list.  However, less people interest themselves in smaller details that would ease the fears of those who felt Europe was in danger of being overtaken by Islamic radicals.  Few people realize that the majority of Muslim immigrants do not come from those areas of conflict in the Middle East such as Iraq and Iran.  While the absence of a national census concerning race or ethnicity makes it difficult to obtain solid data on the topic, scholars have been able to come up with some close estimates.  Algerians are said to make up the largest group of French Muslims with 1,550,000.  Close behind, totaling 1,000,000 are those Muslims of Moroccan origin.  The majority (about half) of the approximately 5,000,000 Muslims in France is thought to have been born in France or are naturalized citizens.  After arriving, these immigrants tend to stay within their own culture.[2]  This, in turn, causes many to fear some sort of Islamic uprising.  However, despite their ethnicity and country of origin, less than half of the French Muslims are truly active in the Islamic religion.  Therefore, despite the growth of Muslims in the country, the growth of Islam in France remains at a “healthy” level.  However, this does not prevent ignorant outsiders from discriminating against this group - racism remains a major problem amongst the French population.

National Origins of the Muslim Population[2]                    

Muslim Piety in 2001 (and 1994)[2]

Muslims must face a great deal of discrimination in their new homes in France.  One issue that often manifests itself is that of religion.  Le Point, an online French news site, asks whether such a republic as France is compatible with Islam.  One article states:

“…il existe malheureusement une pratique identitaire de la religion musulmane, portée notamment par nombre de jeunes issus de l'immigration. Leur attitude agressive est le fruit de frustrations économiques, sociales et historiques.  C'est de leur désenchantement que se nourrit le prosélytisme islamiste.”[3] 

In other words, Le Point believes that there is an unfortunate presence of “religious identity” that is particularly an issue amongst younger immigrants.  The author of the article feels that the “aggressive attitudes” of these young Muslims has caused “economic, social, and historique frustrations” among traditional French citizens.  This distrust of the Islamic community has been the cause of much rioting and destruction.  Some well-known examples are the riots that have resulted from the electrocution incident.  Two Muslim boys, aged 15 and 17, ran from police on October 27, 2005 and took refuge in an electrical substation.  After the boys were accidentally electrocuted, riots broke out in the suburbs surrounding Paris (the “banlieus”) during which numerous young men trashed everything in sight.  After a speech made by French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy where he “declared he would use the powerful water cannons to cleanse the suburb of ‘scum’,” the rioting only became worse.  During the next two weeks, these protests even spread into parts of Germany and Belgium.[4]  But what was it that was causing such tension?  Many theories have been suggested to answer this question.  One such example is an essay written by a French Muslim in which he accuses the media of spurring these movements.  Another probable reason is the state of the economy.

Burning car caused by French riots

In his essay “La Question Qui Tue”, author Abdurrachid expresses his sorrow over the portrayal of French Muslims in the media and around the world:

“…il y a beaucoup de musulmans pieux en France. Malheureusement, on n'entend pas souvent parler d'eux. On entend souvent parler des "mauvais" musulmans. La majorité de ces "mauvais" musulmans sont des gens qui n'ont simplement pas étudié l'Islam. Par exemple, un musulman de "naissance" entend parler de jihad et d'Islam à la télé fini par croire que l'Islam prêche la violence. Si ce musulman n'étudie pas pour vérifier ce qu'il a entendu, il deviendra violent en croyant obéir à Allah Le Très-Haut. Encore une fois on a droit aux ravages liés à l'ignorance.”[5]

What the author is saying is that the Muslims that are being shown by the media (the “mauvais musulmans”) are not representative of Islam, but are merely using it as a rallying excuse without any substantial knowledge of the subject.  In fact, Abdurrachid believes that the way in which the media portrays “Islamic movements” is in fact a major contributor towards such protests.  In addition, it seems peculiar that the media, not just in France but indeed the entire world, has claimed to be surprised by these outbreaks in the French suburbs - riots in France have been occurring for years.  Some examples are the riots in the suburbs of Paris and Lyon in the 1980s, the gang violence in November 2004 on the Champs Elysée, and the “1981 ‘rodeo riots’ in the Lyon suburb Les Minguettes”.[6]  Despite this, nothing has been done to fix the state of affairs in these places.  In addition, rioting is not unique to just Muslims; it is in fact a theme that can be seen throughout history during, for example, the civil rights movement in America in the 1960s.  Why, then, is the world so worked up over these riots?  Instead of focusing on national origin, there is, in fact, a more practical and beneficial topic to discuss and explore – the possible social and economic, rather than cultural, reasons for their current behavior. 

Aftermath of Riots in France

            There are many possible social sources of the tension around French cities.  The main problem that is discussed is this notion of inferiority among the poorer neighborhoods and the inability of many of the French to accept these peoples into their country.  In a television news talk show called “a NewsHour” hosted by Jim Lehrer, Alec Hargreaves, a French professor at Florida State University and author of "Immigration, Race and Ethnicity in Contemporary France," commented on the social origins of the French rioting.  Hargreaves stated, “[t]hese problems are rooted in deep-seated social inequalities, problems of discrimination and it should be said, political neglect.”[7]  Hargreaves goes on to comment about the difficulty French Muslims are having with assimilating into French society due to government restrictions and popular opinion.  One man who was interviewed on the streets near Paris was quoted as saying, “Maybe I have a paper French but I don't think I am a French people because they think we are not French.”[8]  This statement clearly and simply shows the mentality of many of the poor Muslims of the banlieus.  This feeling of inferiority coupled with blaring economic inequalities is helping to tighten the tension between the cultures.

Dr. Alec Hargreaves during a discussion about the French rioting on "A NewsHour with Jim Lehrer"

*Click to visit transcript*

            Perhaps the most influential factor for the behavior in the banlieus has to do with the state of the French economy and its unfair treatment of those of Muslim descent. Simply put, unemployment is significantly higher among French Muslims (especially for young men) than for the rest of the French population.  According to Alexis Debat, a “contributing editor to the National Interest and a consultant for ABC News,” “[t]oday a French Muslim has one-eighth to one-tenth the chance of a non-Muslim French national with a non-Muslim name to get a job.”[9]  More specifically, it is the second-generation immigrants, aged 15 to around 24, who have seen the most drastic decline in job opportunities.  As seen below, the employment rate of this age group has, over the past twenty years, dropped an astonishing thirty points.  In comparison, the employment rate of this age group in America has only dropped two points in the same amount of time.  And while there is a welfare system in effect in these regions, these programs do not cover individuals under the age of 25.  So with limited job opportunities and no help from the government, these youth have taken to the streets, fighting for the opportunity given to others who just happen to be from a different culture.  With this said, however, what is causing this large gap in employment?  Statistics (and logic) show that employment is very closely linked with education.  One often-quoted number is that “90% of all children of immigrants in France study in only 10% of all French schools.”[10]  Most of these 10% are located in poorer areas where the education system is not up to par with more wealthy institutions.  Therefore, in order to fix the so-called Muslim problem and to quell the violence in the banlieus, France must focus its attention not only on the problem at hand, but also on the issues that are causing these problems.  If the French government really wants to mend this cultural wound, they must first improve the education systems so that these underprivileged citizens can have a fighting chance in society. 

The above table shows the employment rates of different age groups in France as compared to those of the United States (E-U).  (Hommes =Men; Femmes = Women)

            Immigration is a significant problem in France.  This problem, however, is not the result of just one group or culture.  There are many factors that have brought about the events of recent years, some more evident than others, that must be addressed if the French wish to avoid a civil uprising.  When a sink overflows, it is not enough to just mop up the water that spreads through the room; one must also stop the source of this flow and shut off the faucet.  The same is true with the outpouring of violence in the banlieus of France; while it is true that action must be taken against the rioting, simply ‘wiping up the mess’ with police and weapons will not keep the mess from coming back.  However, finding the sink through all the water will not be as easy as it seems.  First, the French government must preach acceptance and inclusion of Muslims into French society.  Second, they need to promote equality and discourage racism amongst the citizens of France.  Lastly, it is essential that the government of France address the economic disadvantages that are keeping French Muslims in their cage of poverty so that they might better their lives and finally be able to live amongst their fellow citizens in peace and amity.  Only after these issues are remedied can the metaphorical sink finally be turned off and the floor be mopped clean of the dirt of racism, discrimination, and inequality to reveal a new, clean world where one can live in harmony with their neighbor – no matter what their background.

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Other helpful links:

Riots in France

Allah Mode: France's Islam Problem

Islam In France

The Challenge of French Diversity

Les Racines de la Crise*

La Question Qui Tue*