Paris – Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

A recent report by the French Human Rights Commission reveals a rise in religious discrimination in France. A survey found that one in three French Muslims surveyed reported experiencing discrimination.

France has a large Muslim community whose parents immigrated from former French colonies, particularly North Africa. According to Euronews, the Brussels-based European news network, French law prohibits the collection of data based on race or religion, making it difficult to obtain comprehensive statistics on discrimination.

The head of the Human Rights Commission, Claire Hedon, based her report on a 2024 survey of 5,000 people representing a cross-section of the French population. The report revealed that approximately 7% of respondents said they had experienced religious discrimination in the past five years, compared to 5% in 2016. Discrimination was most prevalent among Muslims or those perceived as Muslim, at 34%, compared to about 19% of followers of other religions, including Judaism and Buddhism, and only 4% of Christians. The findings also showed a gender disparity, with 38% of Muslim women reporting discrimination compared to 31% of men.

The report indicated that these forms of discrimination often lead to social and professional exclusion, particularly for Muslim women who wear headscarves.

It added that women who wear headscarves "face stigma in public spaces and limitations on their professional lives," including sometimes being forced to leave their jobs, accept positions below their qualifications, or resort to self-employment. They are also sometimes prevented from participating in sports.

French secularism has its roots in a 1905 law that protects freedom of religion and separates church and state. But in recent years, reports indicate that this principle has been used to justify banning religious symbols, such as the Islamic headscarf, in certain public spaces, particularly state schools.

Some French Muslims have said they feel increasingly hostile, especially after the deadly jihadist attacks in Paris in 2015 and the subsequent warnings in mainstream media about what they termed an "Islamic invasion."

The report also noted that about a quarter of respondents in another survey misunderstand French secularism, believing it means banning religious symbols in public.

The report called for greater awareness of the concept of secularism, warning that some policies, such as prohibiting women from wearing headscarves in certain places, could increase discrimination rather than reduce it.