{"id":381163,"date":"2010-03-02T18:03:03","date_gmt":"2010-03-02T23:03:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/globalvoicesonline.org\/?p=124864"},"modified":"2010-03-02T18:03:03","modified_gmt":"2010-03-02T23:03:03","slug":"french-muslims-from-colonisation-to-citizenship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/381163","title":{"rendered":"French Muslims: From Colonisation to Citizenship"},"content":{"rendered":"

As Francophone Africa celebrates the 50th anniversary of its independence<\/a> from France or Belgium, and with the still rumbling\u00a0 “National Identity” debate<\/a> as a backdrop, a new generation of French documentary makers have decided to tackle themselves, as Muslims and French citizens, what it means to be both in secular France. Musulmans de France<\/a><\/em> [Fr ] was released on French channel France 5 on February 23rd. In the video below, Karim Misk\u00e9, one of the directors,\u00a0 first clarifies how they have defined\u00a0 “French Muslims” for this documentary<\/a> (Fr):<\/p>\n

<\/embed><\/object>
\nInterview Karim Misk\u00e9 (Part 1)<\/a><\/strong>
\npar Phares-Balises<\/a><\/em><\/div>\n

He also recalled in an article on the website Rue89, Mum, what is a Muslim?<\/a> how he himself came to discover that he was “different” :<\/p>\n

\n

1972. J'ai huit ans et j'habite \u00e0 Paris. Une fois par semaine, \u00e0 la cantine, on nous sert de la choucroute. J'ai horreur de \u00e7a, et les cantini\u00e8res \u2026 me lancent des regards mauvais, des r\u00e9flexions \u2026 je ne comprends rien.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

1972. I was eight and living in Paris. Once a week in the canteen, we were served sauerkraut. I hated that, and the ladies … threw me mean looks, made comments…I did not understand.<\/div>\n
\n

… Un soir, j'en parle \u00e0 ma m\u00e8re qui m'explique un truc tr\u00e8s bizarre\u00a0: les dames \u2026 sont f\u00e2ch\u00e9es contre moi car elles pensent que je refuse de manger du porc \u00e0 cause de ma religion.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

… One evening, I asked my mother who said something very strange: the ladies … are angry against me because they think that I will not eat pork because of my religion.<\/div>\n

Bloggers in France reacted to the fresh perspective and thorough investigation.<\/p>\n

Blogger M\u00e9nilmontant, mais oui madame…<\/a> hails the performance:<\/p>\n

\n

France 5 a diffus\u00e9 mardi 23 f\u00e9vrier avec un relatif succ\u00e8s d\u2019audience \u2026 Musulmans de France. Suivre les trois parties \u2026 aurait pu en d\u00e9router plus d\u2019un. Quelque 400 000 t\u00e9l\u00e9spectateurs sont rest\u00e9s de 20h35 jusqu\u2019\u00e0 pr\u00e8s de minuit \u00e0 regarder \u2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

[TV station] France 5 broadcast on Tuesday, February 23 with relatively good audience among…French Muslims. Watching the three parts … could have been too much to some. Some 400 000 viewers have watched from 20h35 until almost midnight…<\/div>\n

On Twitter @<\/em>FreeBEEz<\/a> s<\/em>aid that this success was due to the fact that it is a :<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Salutaire doc sur Les musulmans de France apr\u00e8s d\u00e9rapages du d\u00e9bat #identitenationale<\/strong><\/a>.<\/em> Excellents t\u00e9moins, fines analyses <\/em>#mdf<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Good documentary on French Muslims after the #nationalidentity<\/strong><\/a> debacle.\u00a0 Excellent stories, fine analysis #mdf<\/a><\/p>\n

Blogger Med\u2019in Marseille<\/a> writes\u00a0:<\/p>\n

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La France n\u2019\u00e9chappera pas \u00e0 son histoire et les Musulmans en font partie. Mais \u00ab\u00a0qu\u2019est-ce qu\u2019\u00eatre Musulman en France\u2026\u00a0\u00bb<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

France cannot avoid its history and the Muslims are part of it. But “what does it mean to be a Muslim in France …”<\/div>\n

To answer this question, this documentary is divided in three parts as Olivier Barlet on Africultures.com<\/a> wrote:<\/p>\n

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Les trois films, suivent une stricte chronologie, \u2026 trois titres en forme d'\u00e9volution\u00a0: Indig\u00e8nes (1904-1945 <\/em>colonialisme), Immigr\u00e9s (1945-1983 <\/em>post-colonialisme), Fran\u00e7ais (\u00e0 partir de 1983).<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

All three films follow a strict order, … three titles for an unfolding story: Indigenous (colonialism: 1904-1945), Immigrants (post-colonialism: 1945-1983), French (from 1983).<\/div>\n

Med\u2019in Marseille<\/a> <\/em>tells us more\u00a0:<\/p>\n

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\u2026 Une fresque historique in\u00e9dite de 100 ans, qui d\u00e9marre en 1904 \u2026 date des premi\u00e8res images exploitables cin\u00e9matographiquement mais aussi l\u2019arriv\u00e9e des premi\u00e8res vagues de travailleurs, jusqu\u2019en 2007 \u2026 la nomination de Rachida Dati<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>Rama Yade<\/em><\/a> et <\/em>Fadela Amara<\/em><\/a> <\/em>au gouvernement<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

… An historical epic novel over 100 years, starting in 1904 … when the first images became cinematographically usable but also the arrival of the first wave of workers, until 2007 … wheb Rachida Dati<\/a>, Rama Yade<\/a> and Fadela Amara<\/a> were appointed at the government.<\/div>\n

This documentary describes the Muslim as a “citizen”, simply “French”…<\/p>\n

\n

Le documentaire s\u2019attache \u00e0 montrer le \u00ab\u00a0musulman\u00a0\u00bb comme un \u00ab\u00a0item\u00a0\u00bb sociologique, une \u00ab\u00a0cat\u00e9gorie\u00a0\u00bb et non une \u00ab\u00a0entit\u00e9\u00a0\u00bb religieuse. \u2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The documentary shows the “Muslim” as a sociological “item”, “a category” and not a religious “entity”. …<\/div>\n
\n

\u2026la prise en compte de l\u2019ensemble des Musulmans ou ceux que l\u2019on consid\u00e8re comme tel, bien qu\u2019ath\u00e9es, agnostiques, ou simplement non pratiquants.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

… Taking into account all Muslims or those that are considered as such, though atheists, agnostics or simply non-practicing.<\/div>\n

Olivier Barlet from Africultures.com<\/a> explains more\u00a0:<\/p>\n

\n

\u2026, le rappel \u2026 de l'anciennet\u00e9 de l'immigration maghr\u00e9bine\u00a0: d\u00e8s la fin du 19\u00e8me si\u00e8cle, des travailleurs de Kabylie avaient particip\u00e9 \u00e0 la construction du m\u00e9tropolitain et des milliers d'ouvriers marocains et alg\u00e9riens \u00e9taient recrut\u00e9s par les mines du Pas-de-Calais. \u2026 l'enthousiasme des populations fran\u00e7aises pour les combattants africains de la Grande guerre … Le film montre les efforts d\u00e9ploy\u00e9s par l'arm\u00e9e pour respecter leurs coutumes (interdits alimentaires, rites fun\u00e9raires, lieux de culte) mais aussi pour les parquer afin d'emp\u00eacher tout contact entre Fran\u00e7ais et indig\u00e8nes.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

… Remember … when the North African immigration started: from the late 19th century, workers from Kabylia had participated in the construction of the metropolitan and thousands of Algerian and Moroccan workers were recruited for the mines of the Pas-de-Calais. … The enthusiasm of French people for the African soldiers of the Great War … The movie shows the efforts of the military to respect their customs (food, funeral rites, places to worship) but also how they were parked in order to prevent any contact between the French and the indigenous.<\/div>\n
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\u2026 Ce double mouvement d'accueil et de rejet sera et est encore une permanence de la relation, une relation que le grand public d\u00e9couvre avec \u00e9tonnement alors m\u00eame que plus de 400\u00a0000 Maghr\u00e9bins traverseront la mer entre 1921 et 1939. C'est en France qu'\u00e9mergeront nombre de leaders nationalistes, dans un rapport contradictoire \u00e0 la France, \u00e0 la fois terre de savoir et de valeurs mais aussi puissance occupante.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

… This dual feeling of love and hate shall be and is still an ongoing relationship, a relationship that the public discovers with astonishment even though more than 400\u00a0000 North Africans will cross the sea between 1921 and 1939. It is in France that most nationalist leaders would emerge, in a contradictory relationship with France, a country not only of values and knowledge but also the occupying power.<\/div>\n
\n

\u2026 La ” marche des Beurs <\/a>” de 1983 r\u00e9v\u00e9lera non seulement cet enracinement mais aussi le rapprochement des enfants d'immigr\u00e9s et d'Harkis, confront\u00e9s aux m\u00eames discriminations et se retrouvant dans une culture commune. … Les indig\u00e8nes sont devenus des Fran\u00e7ais.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

.<\/em>.. The ” marche des Beurs <\/a>” in 1983 proved that not only the roots but also the link between of children of immigrants and Harkis<\/a>, who face the same discrimination and have in a common culture. … The natives are now French.<\/div>\n

<\/em>Finaly, a selection of the live-tweets during the broadcast when people expressed their feeling:<\/p>\n

\n

@cduportlawyer<\/strong><\/a> On en apprend des choses ds le doc. Pourtant, j'etais assidue en cours d'histoire… #mdf<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

@cduportlawyer<\/em><\/strong><\/a> <\/em>we learned a lot in this doc. And yet, I never missed history class… #mdf<\/a><\/div>\n
\n

@<\/em><\/strong>Donjipe<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/em>z<\/strong><\/a> Compliqu\u00e9 histoire guerre d'alg\u00e9rie. Doit \u00eatre noeud de bcp de choses #mdf<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

@<\/em><\/strong>Donjipez<\/em><\/strong><\/a> <\/em>the story of the war with Algeria is complicated. Probably the plot to a lot of things #mdf<\/a><\/div>\n
\n

@megaconnard<\/a>: jamais un film ne m'a autant plong\u00e9 dans mes origines et je ne suis pas musulman #mdf<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

@megaconnard<\/a> never has a movie took me to my roots as this one and yet I am not a Muslim#mdf<\/a><\/div>\n
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@<\/strong>foued<\/strong><\/a> Le passage avec Rachid Taha et Carte de Sejour etait… etonnant. Les annees 80, le rock arabe \ud83d\ude42#mdf<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

@<\/strong>foued<\/strong><\/a> the part with Rachid Taha<\/a> and Carte de Sejour<\/a> was \u2026 astonishing. The 80\u2019s, Arab rock \ud83d\ude42#mdf<\/a><\/div>\n
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@motazaline<\/strong><\/a> B.Coquatrix ” Avant d'aller \u00e0 la Mecque, les musulmans allaient voir Oum Keltoum” France5 #mdf<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

@motazaline<\/a> B.Coquatrix \u201cBefore going to Mecca, Muslims would first go to see Umm Kulthum<\/a> ” France5 #mdf<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As Francophone Africa celebrates the 50th anniversary of its independence from France or Belgium, and with the still rumbling\u00a0 “National Identity” debate as a backdrop, a new generation of French documentary makers have decided to tackle themselves, as Muslims and French citizens, what it means to be both in secular France. Musulmans de France [Fr […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5779,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-381163","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/381163","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5779"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=381163"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/381163\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=381163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=381163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=381163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}