This work provides a critical perspective on Muslim politics and experiences in contemporary France, the European country with the largest Muslim population. It does not assume prior knowledge of the topic and explains, simply and clearly, the complex issues involved. French Muslims is unlike other works on similar topics in that it concentrates on four thinkers and activists - Chahdortt Djavann, Fadela Amara, Tariq Ramadan and Houria Bouteldja - who come from Muslim backgrounds. None of these four are traditional French intellectuals, and each has faced ostracism and hostility. All four can claim to speak for a new generation in France. They present contrasting attitudes on issues such as the veil, integration, the role of the school, the status of women, the traditions of the French Republic and the legacy of the French Empire. This work also analyses the most important organizations and structures that represent French Muslim opinion, including the government sponsored French Council of the Muslim Faith and the independent Muslim association, the Union of Islamic Organizations of France. The author carefully avoids portraying French Muslims as a solid, monolithic block, and is sensitive to their wide variety of opinions and experience. French Muslims concludes by highlighting some of the dilemmas of national identity in the postcolonial context of globalization, and by pointing out some shortcomings inherent in recent French government initiatives in relation to the Muslim presence. --Book Jacket.
Be the first to review this book!
