TAHAR BEN JELLOU: To properly understand the situation of Muslims in France, you must link it to the history of colonization. And immigration is a consequence of that colonization. In France, immigration is not a happy walk in the park or picnic. It’s a quite difficult thing, that often takes place with a lot of drama, and as opposed to the United Kingdom and Germany, which are differentialist countries, France is an integrationist country, meaning it wants to integrate that community. They were able to integrate immigrants from Spain, Portugal, Italy and eastern Europe, without any hardship or suffering, because they were Christian or Jewish. But it doesn’t go so easily with Islam. And immigration from Muslim countries doesn’t go through. 

So all this to say that at the current time, immigrants from a previous generation are not at all concerned with the question of integration, and paradoxically, those who are preoccupied with this issue of integration are French young people whose parents are immigrants, who are confused with immigrants.

Three years ago today, LIVE held part 1 of a five-event series called Muslim Voices: Arts & Ideas Festival. The first event, which the above quote is taken from, was titled, “HOW DID WE GET HERE?”. Learn more and watch/listen to the event here…