Islamophobia in France - (Sociology of Race and Ethnicity) by Abdellali Hajjat & Marwan Mohammed

About the Book

"In 2004 France banned Muslim women from wearing veils in school. In 2010 France passed legislation that banned the wearing of clothing in public that covered the face, mainly to target women who wore burqas. President Emmanuel Macron has stated that the hijab is not in accordance with French ideals. Islamophobia in France takes many forms, both explicit and implicit, and often appears to be sanctioned by the governing bodies themselves. These cultural biases reveal how the Muslim population acts as a scapegoat for the problematic status of immigrants in France more generally. Islamophobia in France is an English translation of Abdellali Hajjat and Marwan Mohammed's Islamophobie: Comment les elites franc'aises fabriquent le "probleme musulman." In this groundbreaking book, Hajjat and Mohammed argue that Islamophobia in France is not the result of individual prejudice or supposed Muslim cultural or racial deficiencies but rather arose out of structures of power and control already in place in France. Hajjat and Mohammed analyze how French elites deploy Islamophobia as a state technology for contesting and controlling the presence of specific groups of postcolonial immigrants and their descendants in contemporary France. With a new introduction for U.S. readers, the authors unpack the data on Islamophobia in France and offer a portrait of how it functions in contemporary society"--

Book Synopsis

In 2004 France banned Muslim women from wearing veils in school. In 2010 France passed legislation that banned the wearing of clothing in public that covered the face, mainly to target women who wore burqas. President Emmanuel Macron has stated that the hijab is not in accordance with French ideals. Islamophobia
in France takes many forms, both explicit and implicit, and often appears to be sanctioned by the governing bodies themselves. These cultural biases reveal how the Muslim population acts as a scapegoat for the problematic status of immigrants in France more generally.

Islamophobia in France is an English translation of Abdellali Hajjat and Marwan Mohammed's Islamophobie: Comment les e´lites franc, aises fabriquent le "proble`me musulman." In this groundbreaking book, Hajjat and Mohammed argue that Islamophobia in France is not the result of individual prejudice or supposed Muslim cultural or racial deficiencies but rather arose out of structures of power and control already in place in France.

Hajjat and Mohammed analyze how French elites deploy Islamophobia as a state technology for contesting and controlling the presence of specific groups of postcolonial immigrants and their descendants in contemporary France. With a new introduction for U.S. readers, the authors unpack the data on Islamophobia in France and offer a portrait of how it functions in contemporary society.

Review Quotes

When we consider the importance of this book--particularly at a time when the bloody conflict in Palestine/Gaza is growing worse daily--Hajjat and Mohammed remind us of the extent to which Islamophobia has been woven into the day-to-day political discourse of Europe, France, the United States, and elsewhere, as the West perceives itself as under attack from the Muslim world.--Valérie K. Orlando "H-France Review"

Islamophobia in France is... an essential contribution to the field, providing a nuanced and insightful examination of the systemic nature of Islamophobia and its consequences on Muslim communities in France.--Dilara Ozer "Politics Today"

In this authoritative study, Abdellali Hajjat and Marwan Mohammed provide a comprehensive, historically informed and methodologically rich account of contemporary Islamophobia in France. Working through theory and practice, this timely contribution is of vital importance and will become a reference point for students and teachers alike.--Nasar Meer "coeditor in chief of Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power"

The scope of the study is breathtaking, as is its nuanced attention to particular events and controversies. . . . Islamophobia in France is an important contribution: comprehensive, engaging, and impressive in its erudition.--Paul A. Silverstein "author of Postcolonial France: Race, Islam, and the Future of the Republic"

This brilliant text not only contributes to the sociology of Islam and the sociology of Islamophobia but also contributes to, and is an exemplar of, the sociology of knowledge.--Jean Beaman "author of Citizen Outsider: Children of North African Immigrants in France"

About the Author

Abdellali Hajjat (Author)
ABDELLALI HAJJAT is associate professor of sociology at the Université libre de Bruxelles. He is the author of The Wretched of France: The 1983 March for Equality and against Racism.

Marwan Mohammed (Author)
MARWAN MOHAMMED is research fellow at CNRS in France and teaches sociology at Science Po Paris. He is the author of La formation des bandes: Entre la famille, l'école et la rue.