Date: Fri, 24 Nov 1995 12:49:39 -0800
From: dnegri-AT-sirius.com (donald negri)
Subject: Re: Islam integrisme


Hanna Hickey a demande des renseignements au sujet de l'integrisme en
France. Bien qu'elle ait demande en francais, je vais me permettre de
lui repondre en anglais:

I'm not sure if you are looking for French's
society reaction to
Integrisme, or the Integrists reaction to French society. The essential
point of conflict within France centers around the GIA (a sort of
Integrist version of the IRA) - whose bombings in France are to
protest the French government's perceived support of the current
military-political Algerian government. The larger issue - the
integrating of algerians into French society is a complex one -
not unlike certain aspects of the black minority problem in the
USA. Housing, Education, racial segration, employment are the
central issues and while the French government has at least shown
awareness of these problems (unlike American governments), it has a
long ways to go. French "cites" - those groupings of high-rise
low-rent apt buildings which ring major French cities - are a
potentially explosive issue. However, on the other hand, most
Algerians fear the influence of the orthodox wing of Islam - the
Integristes - which they fear will turn French public opinion
against them. Also, most Algerians do want to integrate into most
aspects of French society and are therefore wary of extremist Muslim
movements which are esentially anti-Western culture. And of course the
French ultra-right - the Front National - has not failed to exploit the
issue
for its own racist ends. At some point one also has to take into account
non-Algerian muslims in France, such as the Turks who are centered in
Alsace (probably as a spill-over from Germany) and who do not seem to
have a desire to become "French" in any respect (I realize this is a
generalization, so take it as such).
don