Citation

el Feki S. Int. Aff. 2007; 83(4): 757.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Royal Institute of International Affairs, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1468-2346.2007.00651.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

France is home to approximately five million people of Muslim origin, giving it western Europe's largest Muslim population. Three-quarters of French Muslims trace their origins to just three countries—Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia—but half of today's French Muslim population was born in France. Muslims face considerable difficulties, including poor housing, unemployment and discrimination. Some of these issues are the problems of immigrants in general, not Muslims in particular. But Islam does challenge traditional French notions of citizenship and secularism. However, for all the controversy over headscarves and riots in poor suburbs, there are encouraging signs of a better future for Muslims in France.