The French Riots
Paolo Bassi
November 14, 2005
Something has gone terribly wrong with the
French
Republic
. The world is accustomed to watching
France
’s intellectuals wringing their hands over the real or perceived loss of
national importance and cultural drift at the hands of globalization. The
current rioting however, by young North African Arab and black youth, is a
crisis of
France
’s very own making. The rioting all over France in and around the
depressing concrete enclaves that surround the major French cities, where
hundreds of thousands of immigrants are housed, may have finally shaken the
French government out of its slumber. It has also raised critical questions
for all of Europe, since history has shown that when unrest starts in
France
it often spread to the rest of
Europe
.
France
is home to approximately five million people of North and sub-Saharan African
descent. Most are the descendants of Algerians, Moroccans and Tunisians who
came to work after World War II when French business needed cheap labor. More
came after the pathologically violent Algerian War of independence that forced
France
to grant independence to
Algeria
in 1962---a war that in some minds is still going on. The French housed
these early Arab and black immigrants in large housing estates well outside the
main cities—out of sight and out of mind. That was 50 years ago. The
tragedy is that the children and grandchildren of these immigrants are still
labeled as Arabs and live on the same estates. However, whereas the first
generation had patiently worked hard to become established, their children have
now reached snapping point. The reasons are not hard to understand. Chronic
unemployment and racist employers, crime ridden housing estates, police
harassment and above all, a sense of hopelessness, have driven young Arabs and
blacks to the most serious rioting in
France
since the May 1968 student uprising.
What has gone wrong?
France
’s republican, secularist integration model recognizes only type of citizen,
French, with no regard to the past. In keeping with the tradition of the
French revolution, immigrants simply become French citizens, without color,
religion, race or previous culture—all equal before the law and all mystically
transformed into descendants of the ancient Gauls. This unrealistic Gallic
embrace seems wonderful in a perfect world–however, it is a mere legal
embrace. The fate and progress of most immigrants is usually determined by
the cultural attitude of the majority population, especially the employers. The
French citizenship of an Arab seeking a job makes no difference to an employer
who sees him only as another faceless Arab or to the police who daily harass
immigrant youth. Since the French state does not classify its people by
race or religion, neither do they keep statistics based on such things. Therefore,
racism is given a free hand in
France
. The French have created a circular argument worthy of Descartes. French
citizens have no race, thus, there can be no racism. There can be no racism
since we have no such thing as race.
France
provides good evidence that legal equality is not enough as does the black
struggle in
America
or that of the Dalits of India. Stigma, racism and indifference do not
disappear simply because color-blind law dictates it. The eradication of
racism and inequality requires strong government action and laws that are easily
accessed, understood and enforced. It also requires inclusion of minorities
in the police, media, universities, courts and above all in the government
itself. It is much less likely that police brutality against minorities
would exist if Arab and black police were involved in community policing. It
is much less likely that companies would get away with not hiring minorities, if
minorities with power were there to challenge discrimination.
The causes of the current riots according to general
consensus are largely over economic injustice, racism and exclusion. These
injustices in themselves need not represent an unbridgeable gap between the
European French and those of immigrant descent. These are not uniquely
French issues and with sufficient political will can be solved by a wealthy
nation like
France
. Neither should the French be panicked into accepting multi-culturalism as
a social model. Their republican secularism has worked in the past with
integrating European immigrants and, with more involvement and sensitivity, it
can do so again with the Arab and black population.
There are however, far greater dangers lurking just
underneath the overt issues of racial and economic injustice. If the French
government, despite Prime Minister, Dominique De Villepin’s stated desire for
dialogue, does not make lasting structural changes, it is very possible that
Islam will fill the void to provide unity and solace to Arab youth. Radical
Islamists would like nothing better than this alienated generation to draw their
recruits from. Battle lines drawn around religion are far more dangerous
and complex than issues of poverty and class. If Islam is allowed to become
the badge of identity for young French Arabs, a permanent and more dangerous
sub-class will be created. This in turn will trigger an even more racist,
violent backlash led by French right-wing parties ready to exploit the
situation. In the 2002 presidential election, Jean-Marie Le Pen, the
candidate of the fascistic, xenophobic National Front party, made it to a
run-off election against the eventual winner, Jacques Chirac.
France now faces a decision that will lasting impact. How
it deals with the causes of the riots will determine the future influence of
both Islam and the French radical right. If France is to win the allegiance
of disenchanted Arab and black youth, it must enforce an audacious program to
bring economic justice to its minorities and actively fight racism in
employment, even if it means a temporary quota system. If France does not
act, the forces of Islam and the political right will.