A recent law passed in France's National Assembly aims to strengthen republican principles by curbing "Islamist separatism". To evaluate its measures, it is worth considering the situation of Muslims in the country.
A plurality of France's six million Muslims is well embedded in society and is in the process of inventing a 21st-century method of practising Islam that combines individual preferences with collective practices. Some, often first-generation immigrants, have kept the values of their country of origin but do not want to impose them on the rest of society.
But another group, which includes, worryingly, 45 per cent of young people under 25 – according to a survey conducted by the Paris-based think tank Institut Montaigne – has a very conservative vision of an Islamic identity that goes far beyond the commonly accepted tenets of the religion. For this group, defending their vision of religion is to defend their identity and their place in society.
The vast majority of French Muslims live in the context of the country's integration process. It is both demanding and ambitious – demanding because it involves changing one's culture, and ambitious because at the end of the road society allows a whole new citizen to join the community. But integration is, by its very nature, a messy process of transition, often brought about through tension and misunderstanding, at times even between generations of the same family. The "identity quests" of some young teenagers from immigrant communities are, therefore, an unsurprising manifestation of this messiness.
More on the anti-separatism bill
It is ripe for exploitation by extremist zealots, who often try to appeal to teenagers who feel detached from their national identity. They are told that perhaps they do not feel entirely French, Senegalese, Moroccan or Algerian, but they are unambiguously Muslim, and so Islam can serve as their cultural and political framework. It also grants access to the universalist identity that France often preaches but does not always uphold. The universalist nature of Islam is undoubtable. And yet, ironically, it is exploited by extremists to sell young people on a version of it that caters specifically to their rebellious politics. Their idea of faith becomes harder, more demanding and more austere because it is meant to be symbol of purity and resistance. It is easy to see why some lawmakers might fear these sentiments will encourage separatism.
Although legislative action alone will never really be enough to defeat extremism, the National Assembly's law offers much that will ultimately benefit the Muslim community. It regulates home schooling and the financing of religious associations; protects public officials and takes measures against online harassment; and curbs certain behaviours, including virginity tests and forced marriages, that are often falsely claimed to be religious doctrines but are really political and cultural practices that can cause harm. Mosques and the imams and other staff who work in them will also see more scrutiny over how they are paid and by whom.
These proposals will be useful in fighting the power of extremist ideology. But it fails to address some of the broader processes that contribute to the problem. One is that native-born French people and new immigrants do not interact across all areas of daily life as regularly as they should. They miss out on opportunities to get to know one another. Immigrants are increasingly concentrated in the same neighbourhoods. For instance, the proportion of immigrants in Seine-Saint-Denis, a Paris suburb, rose from 15 per cent to 30 per cent between 1982 and 2015, while at the same time the percentage of immigrants in the French population rose from seven per cent to nine per cent. Moreover, these neighbourhoods are chronically underfunded.
Rene Char once said we must often stand 'on the dividing line between light and shadow'
Efforts to prevent extremism from taking root are also underfunded. France's Court of Audit estimates that between 2015 and 2019 more than €9 billion ($10.6bn) were spent on the fight against terrorism but only a few tens of millions on prevention. Yet, the ideological fight is now necessary to stem the rise of extremism and if the state cannot finance it, it must at least help Muslims to organise themselves to do so. This explains the importance for Muslims in France to have a financing system that will allow, on the one hand, to carry out theological work to promote the emergence of a practice of Islam that is firmly rooted in French life and, on the other hand, to finance religious organisations locally so that they are less vulnerable to foreign influence.
Finally, there is today a new generation of Muslims who carry a progressive and reformist discourse but who are constantly attacked. Those who reject the very idea that Islam can exist in France accuse them of concealing malicious intentions towards the national community. Conversely, extremists treat them as misguided or even renegades. It is necessary for the state to protect these new voices and to promote a climate of calm dialogue. It is also up to other Muslims to mobilise with them against extremism.
Working today on Islam in France requires debate but also an earnest open-mindedness that accepts – even cherishes – complexity. As the French poet and resistance figure Rene Char once said, we must often stand "on the dividing line between light and shadow". But in today's France, both sides of the fight, progressive and conservative, have their own shadowy corners in the form of racism and religious extremism. Manning the line is becoming more difficult but all the more important.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Brief scores:
Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first
Pakhtoons 137-6 (10 ov)
Fletcher 68 not out; Cutting 2-14
Sindhis 129-8 (10 ov)
Perera 47; Sohail 2-18
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
All Blacks line-up for third Test
J Barrett; I Dagg, A Lienert-Brown, N Laumape, J Savea; B Barrett, A Smith; J Moody, C Taylor, O Franks, B Retallick, S Whitelock, J Kaino, S Cane, K Read (capt).
Replacements: N Harris, W Crockett, C Faumuina, S Barrett, A Savea, TJ Perenara, A Cruden, M Fekitoa.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
One in four Americans don't plan to retire
Nearly a quarter of Americans say they never plan to retire, according to a poll that suggests a disconnection between individuals' retirement plans and the realities of ageing in the workforce.
Experts say illness, injury, layoffs and caregiving responsibilities often force older workers to leave their jobs sooner than they'd like.
According to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research, 23 per cent of workers, including nearly two in 10 of those over 50, don't expect to stop working. Roughly another quarter of Americans say they will continue working beyond their 65th birthday.
According to government data, about one in five people 65 and older was working or actively looking for a job in June. The study surveyed 1,423 adults in February this year.
For many, money has a lot to do with the decision to keep working.
"The average retirement age that we see in the data has gone up a little bit, but it hasn't gone up that much," says Anqi Chen, assistant director of savings research at the Centre for Retirement Research at Boston College. "So people have to live in retirement much longer, and they may not have enough assets to support themselves in retirement."
When asked how financially comfortable they feel about retirement, 14 per cent of Americans under the age of 50 and 29 per cent over 50 say they feel extremely or very prepared, according to the poll. About another four in 10 older adults say they do feel somewhat prepared, while just about one-third feel unprepared.
"One of the things about thinking about never retiring is that you didn't save a whole lot of money," says Ronni Bennett, 78, who was pushed out of her job as a New York City-based website editor at 63.
She searched for work in the immediate aftermath of her layoff, a process she describes as akin to "banging my head against a wall." Finding Manhattan too expensive without a steady stream of income, she eventually moved to Portland, Maine. A few years later, she moved again, to Lake Oswego, Oregon. "Sometimes I fantasise that if I win the lottery, I'd go back to New York," says Ms Bennett.
Results:
2.15pm: Handicap (PA) Dh60,000 1,200m.
Winner: AZ Dhabyan, Adam McLean (jockey), Saleha Al Ghurair (trainer).
2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 1,200m.
Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel.
3.15pm: Conditions (PA) Dh60,000 2,000m.
Winner: Hareer Al Reef, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
3.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 1,700m.
Winner: Kenz Al Reef, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
4.15pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup (TB) Dh 200,000 1,700m.
Winner: Mystique Moon, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
4.45pm: The Crown Prince Of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 1,200m.
Winner: ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel.
ENGLAND SQUAD
Team: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Ben Te'o, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Jonny May, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs, 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Dylan Hartley, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Maro Itoje, 6 Courtney Lawes, 7 Chris Robshaw, 8 Sam Simmonds
Replacements 16 Jamie George, 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Harry Williams, 19 George Kruis, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Danny Care, 22 Jonathan Joseph, 23 Jack Nowell
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Brief scoreline:
Wolves 3
Neves 28', Doherty 37', Jota 45' 2
Arsenal 1
Papastathopoulos 80'
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Gully Boy
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
Leaderboard
15 under: Paul Casey (ENG)
-14: Robert MacIntyre (SCO)
-13 Brandon Stone (SA)
-10 Laurie Canter (ENG) , Sergio Garcia (ESP)
-9 Kalle Samooja (FIN)
-8 Thomas Detry (BEL), Justin Harding (SA), Justin Rose (ENG)
