A new report has highlighted a concerning trend of increasing discrimination against Muslims in France. The study, conducted by the French rights watchdog, the ‘French Defender of Rights,’ indicates that a significant portion of the Muslim population experiences discrimination based on their religion.
France is home to a substantial Muslim community, largely comprised of descendants of immigrants from former colonies, particularly those in North Africa. While French law prohibits the collection of data based on race or religion, making comprehensive statistics on discrimination difficult to obtain, the recent report sheds light on the issue.
The head of the Defender of Rights office, Claire Hedon, based the report’s findings on a 2024 survey involving 5,000 individuals representing the French population. According to the survey, 7% of respondents reported experiencing religious discrimination in the past five years, an increase from 5% in 2016.
The rate was significantly higher among individuals of Islamic background. A staggering 34% of Muslims, or those perceived as Muslim, reported experiencing discrimination, compared to approximately 19% among other religious groups, including Jewish and Buddhist communities, and only 4% among Christians.
Muslim Women Disproportionately Affected
The report further revealed that Muslim women are particularly vulnerable, with 38% reporting discrimination compared to 31% of men. The report suggests that this discrimination can lead to social and economic exclusion, especially for Muslim women who wear the hijab. They often face stigmatization in public spaces and encounter limitations in their professional lives.
This includes being forced to leave their jobs, accept positions below their qualifications, or resort to self-employment due to difficulty finding work. In some instances, they are even prevented from participating in sports.
The report comes amid concerns from some French Muslims about rising hostility towards them, particularly fueled by right-wing rhetoric. While French secularism, rooted in a 1905 law, guarantees freedom of belief and separates church and state, it has, in recent years, been used to justify bans on religious symbols like the Islamic headscarf in certain public spaces, such as state schools.
