‘L’esprit de défense’: separatism, counterinsurgency and the dissolution of the Collective Against Islamophobia in France

ABSTRACT

At the end of 2020, the Macron government decided to dismantle the Collective Against Islamophobia in France (CCIF). The CCIF was the primary actor of anti-Islamophobia in France. Its dissolution and the end of its missions in France was a shock for Muslim communities and affected their perception of themselves as well as the trust they put in the rule of law. Macron’s government justified the CCIF’s dissolution in part by arguing that, by denouncing institutional Islamophobia, the organisation incited acts of terrorism against French institutions and its workers. However, the dismantling of the CCIF took place within the larger context of the Macron government’s frustration with the CCIF efforts to question its policies and defend Muslim rights. Thus, the reasons behind the dismantling of the CCIF demand further exploration. After explaining the social function of the CCIF, the events leading to its dissolution as well as its consequences, this paper argues that its dissolution was politically motivated and corresponds with a remodelling of the French colonial counterinsurgency doctrine used to fight against a largely fantasised Islamist separatist insurrection.

RÉSUMÉ

Fin 2020, le gouvernement Macron a décidé de démanteler le Collectif contre l’islamophobie en France (CCIF). Sa dissolution et la fin de ses missions en France ont été un choc pour les communautés musulmanes et ont affecté leur perception d’elles-mêmes ainsi que la confiance qu’elles accordaient à l’État de droit. Le gouvernement de Macron a partiellement justifié la dissolution du CCIF en arguant que, en dénonçant l’islamophobie institutionnelle, l’organisation incitait à des actes de terrorisme contre les institutions françaises et ses fonctionnaires. Cependant, le démantèlement du CCIF a eu lieu dans un contexte plus large dans lequel le gouvernement Macron a été régulièrement incommodé par les efforts du CCIF pour défendre les droits des musulmans et remettre en question ses politiques. Ainsi, les raisons du démantèlement du CCIF méritent d’être explorées plus avant. Après avoir expliqué la fonction sociale du CCIF, les événements qui ont conduit à sa dissolution ainsi que ses conséquences, cet article soutient que sa dissolution était politiquement motivée et correspondait à un remodelage de la doctrine coloniale française de contre-insurrection, utilisée pour lutter contre une insurrection séparatiste islamiste largement fantasmée.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. For the sake of this article Islamophobia will be understood in the scope of the working definition that the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims has adopted: ‘Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness’.

2. I always refused to be paid.

3. Interview conducted on 11 November 2021.

4. Interview conducted on 19 February 2022.

5. For example, interview with Abdulaye, 20 years old, student at Paris 8 University, conducted on 23 August 2021; and interview with Dounia, 41 years old, employee of the Post Office, conducted on 27 July 2021.

6. Interview with Nabil, 38, trade unionist, conducted on 28 August 2021.

7. Interview conducted on 16 February 2022.

8. Interview conducted on 11 November 2021.

9. Interview conducted on 16 February 2022.

10. Interview with Abdelmajid, 41, TNC driver and former contributing member of the CCIF, conducted on 15 October 2021.

11. Interview with Sarah, 30, a CCIF employee at the time of Samuel Paty’s murder, conducted on 4 October 2021.

12. Mounia, interview conducted on 2 February 2022.

13. Bachir, interview conducted on 16 February 2022.

14. Mounia, interview conducted on 2 February 2022.

15. Interview with Houda, 21, student, conducted on 5 November 2021.

16. Bachir, interview conducted on 16 February 2022.

17. Interview conducted on 11 November 2021.

18. Interview with Sarah, 30, employee of the CCIF at the time of its dissolution, conducted on 4 October 2021.

19. Ibid.

20. Sulayman, executive of the CCIF at the time of its dissolution, interviewed on 11 November 2021.

21. Interview conducted on 4 October 2021.

22. Interview conducted on 19 February 2022.

23. Interview conducted on 4 October 2021.

24. Idris 46, middle-school teacher, interviewed on 17 April 2022.