Is There A Problem With Islam or Islamophobia in France?
28’ conducted a debate between Edwy Plenel, journalist and founder of Mediapart and philosopher Alain Finkielkraut on the subject of Islam in France.
Last June, Finkielkraut declared that, “There is a problem of Islam in France,” a statement that caused considerable controversy and caused Plenel to respond by writing his book: For Muslims. The book denounces “the creation and intellectual trivialization of the ‘Muslim problem,’” which he deems analogous to that of the “Jewish problem” of the 19th century.
In summary, Plenel argues that Muslims have been placed in the same role as scapegoats that the Jewish population in France previously occupied. Finkielkraut contends that, “the majority of anti-Semites today are Muslims,” and stated that even Gilles Kepel recognizes the expansion of Salafism. Plenel responded that, “Our Muslim compatriots who live and work here are not accountable for the totalitarian ideologies that claim Islam.”
