by Yasser Louati Human Rights and Civil Liberties Activist

France

France as the laboratory of islamophobiaMuslims as the barometer of democracy

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

A quick reminder

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

Highly unpopular pension reforms of 2003

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

Number of articles, columns, reports

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

How public opinion was manipulated

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

Are you in favour of a law prohibiting headscarves in schools? (collection of CSA polls)

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

April 2003 Oct 2003 Nov 2003 Beg. Dec 2003 Mid. Dec 2003 Sept 2004

4540 42 41

29

20

4955 53

57

69

76Total in favourTotal against

President Chirac declares being in favour of a law against the hijab

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

2009

Global Financial Crisis

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

Government’s main initiative

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

2010New unpopular pension reform

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

MISSION D’INFORMATION SUR LA PRATIQUE DU PORT DU VOILE INTÉGRAL SUR

LE TERRITOIRE NATIONAL (1)

Président M. André GERIN,

Rapporteur M. Éric RAOULT,

Députés.

New National debate: The full face veil

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

367

A law was passed to target less than 400 women

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

2015-2016• State of emergency: +3500 raids; 6 inquiries

• Muslims are the main targets: French Human Rights League, Amnesty, Human Rights Watch

• Eure et Loire Prefect Chief of Staff: “We re mainly targeting people whom are devout muslims, who change the way they dress”

• From Mosques to the streets: The repressive measures targeting muslims were applied to opponents to the Climate Summit COP21 and are still being applied to anti labour reform marchers

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

Unemployment kills between 10,000 and 20,000 people per year

Islamodiversion et islamophobie, @yasserlouati

Islamodiversion et islamophobie, @yasserlouati

@yasserlouati Yasser LouatiFrance as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

Corruption: Classement

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

“What is essential is the identity, the cultural battle”

Manuel Valls, Prime Minister 4 Avril 2016

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

2016• Failed antiterror strategy

• Since January 2015: 236 deaths

• Zero resignation

• Zero sacking

• Zero review of a 30 year old repression based strategy

• Yet Muslim are held responsible, starting with veille women

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

• 30 so called antiterror laws since the mid 80’s including mass surveillance, apology of terror without a clear definition for it, secret (white) notes

• Repression and targeting of muslim communities despite opposition from domestic intelligence (SGDSN 2013 confidential report): “Focusing on repression is a failure”

• Stigmatising Muslims, state sponsored brutality, biased political communication is leading towards “a civil war” as expressed by DGSI’s Patrick Calvar

• French Government’s response:

• “War on terror” despite the fallacious nature of the concept

• “Let’s stop giving too much importance to the rule of law”.

• “Retreat from the European convention on human rights”.@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

Is there a state sponsored islamophobia?

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

1987 Marceau Commission: changing the citizenship law, reconsider the law of the soil1989 First national “veil” affair. Two Muslim students are expelled from school for wearing a headscarf1994 Min. of Education François Bayrou issues an internal note allowing school principals to expel students for wearing a headscarf2003 Stasi Commission on “visible religious signs”. Main target: the muslim headscarf. 116 people auditioned, 0 veiled woman2003 Debré Commission on “visible religious signs” Main target: the muslim headscarf2003 Baroin report “For a new laïcité”…”the new threat is the rising muslim visibility…at some point human rights and laïcité are not compatible.” 2003 The Levy sisters are expelled from their high school for wearing a headscarf2004 Hijab ban in public schools2008 Baby Loup case. Veiled muslim employee is fired. Leads legal battle. Wins then loses after the decision is reversed.2009 National debate on the full face veil2010 Full face veil ban2011 Law against “veiled nannies”2012 Min of Education Luc Chatel issues an internal note banni veiled muslim mothers from attending school field trips 2013 Prime Minister Manuel Valls: « Banning the headscarf is an essential fight for me»2014 Laïcité charter in schools2015 Law on mass surveillance after a campaign against Manuel Valls’s “enemy within”, “islamofaschism”, “clash of cvilisations”…2015 Over 100 muslim students are expelled for wearing “long skirts”2015 Marine Le Pen is acquitted after comparing Muslims to “occupying nazis”2015 City of Nice Christian Estrosi declares a legal battle to shut down the newly built Ennour Institute 2015 Several muslim school boys are physically assaulted by their teachers, some dragged to police stations for refusing to say “Je suis Charlie”2015 Pascale Boistard, National secretary for women’s rights reboots the debate on muslim headscarves in Colleges2015 State of Emergency: 3600+ raids for 6 inquieries on terror related charges. Overwhelming targets: Mosques, Muslim homes and businesses2016 Min. of Women’s rights Laurence Rossignol compares veiled Muslim women are compared “negroes in favour of slavery”2016 Veiled employee is fired in Belgium. European court of justice adopts French logic: “legal to indirectly discriminate”

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

95% 7 billionaires

Who owns the media in France?

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

French state subsidies to the media

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

Is there a state sponsored islamophobia?

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

Islamophobia at the service of social dismantling and repression

Islamodiversion

Pensions Justice Homelessness Crisis Unemployment Purchasing power

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

Impact of Islamophobia

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

Religious discriminations: a reality

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

Hate costs money

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

Reducing discrimination would allow national GDP to increase by €150 billion

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

What does islamophobia look like?

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

Sending marine patrols to expel veiled Muslim women from public beaches#burkini

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

Raiding and ransacking mosques under the state of emergencyFighting terror by terrorising everyday citizens

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

Burning down mosques and getting away with it despite the state of emergency

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

French government’s response

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

Racism is evil

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

The costs to democracy and the rule of law

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

Consequences of Islamophobia

• Social cohesion

• Laws of exception & the rule of law

• Police state & mass surveillance

• State accountability

• Failures against terrorism

• Islamodiversion & political emptiness (identity, socio-economic, corruption, institutional)

• Dividing the masses

• Strengthening ruling elites

• Economic

• Destruction/Loss of talent@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

Recommendations1.Ministerial decision to act against islamophobia 2.Allocate budgets to stakeholders including ODHIR 3.Member states recognition of islamophobia 4.Adopt official definition of islamophobia 5.Implement data collection and official statistics 6.Adopt nationwide policies involving grassroots orgs, community Reps 7.Repeal all discriminatory laws targeting Muslims (ex: 2004 hijab ban) 8.Apply existing laws against ALL hate crimes, discrimination, hate speech

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

If you want to know how much freedom you will be left with tomorrow, look at much

freedom Muslims are losing today

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy

Merci

@yasserlouati Yasser Louati France as the laboratory of islamophobia, Muslims as the barometer of democracy