We have in recent years witnessed, on the one hand, the revival of religious beliefs and practices in Muslim countries and, on the other hand, a sudden awareness of the presence of Muslims in Europe. Indeed, following the Iranian Revolution of 1979, Islam came to play an important role in international politics, and since September 11th, 2001, Islam has become the concern of all in the non-Muslim world.
The presence of Muslims in Europe dates back to soon after the advent of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula. Muslim communities settled in Spain and in Southern Italy from as far back as the 8th century. Muslims however did not come to settle in France. In the year 732, Charles Martel is said to have heroically ‘saved’ France from the invading Muslims. Yet France has today the highest percentage of Muslims in Europe.
These communities entered France and came to settle there under very different circumstances: as ‘subjects’ of French colonies, then members of the French Union, and later French community; they responded to a call for work in the post-World War II period of economic reconstruction and emigrated to Europe. Today their children are the Muslim boys and girls of France and many identify closely with their Islamic heritage. For a country that has, since 1905, uncompromisingly championed the cause of secularism, this reality has been hard to accept.
The close connection between France and the Arab world has also shaped France’s foreign policy. Starting with Napoleon’s conquest of Egypt at the end of the 18th century followed by a policy of colonization, and later as a mandate power in the Levant, France has aimed to play a major role in the region.
The class will be broken up into three sections: in the first section we will take a historical look at France’s presence in the Muslim regions of the world. In the second section, we will concentrate on French society today and how the French state has encouraged the integration of French Muslims. Finally in the last section, we will turn to France’s foreign policy and evaluate France’s position towards the Middle East.
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the course, students are able to:
Demonstrate an understanding of France’s historical presence in the Arab world.
Evaluate some of the policies that the French government has adopted and consider the ways they have affected the French Muslim community.
Articulate the various political opinions in relation to Islam in France within French society.
Contextualize and compare where necessary the various concerns that affect French society today.
Discard some of the clichés that often exemplify France for the outsider.
Have a clearer understanding of France’s foreign policy towards the region of the Middle East, with a special emphasis on the Arab World.
Method of presentation:
Lectures, class discussions, student presentations, class debates. Links to readings, complementary information on field studies and subjects discussed in class, and outlines of class lectures will be posted regularly on Moodle. Students should also check the Moodle Forum regularly.
Required work and form of assessment:
- Oral presentation: 15%
- Field study (one short assignment paper): 10%
- Classroom debates: 10%
- In-class quiz: 5%
- Midterm exam: 30%
- Final exam: 30%
Oral Presentation
Each student (or a group of students) is required to prepare one oral presentation (10-15 min.) on one of the topics/books/films indicated below. You should choose your topic by the beginning of the second week. You will be given your presentation dates at the end of the first week. Presentations should be lively and well prepared (i.e. reading from a text or a group of texts downloaded from the Internet is not acceptable). You should be ready to answer questions on your subject. You will be assessed on clarity and knowledge of the subject. Please remember to state your sources.
Topics for the oral presentations:
Group 1
- Rachid Bouchareb, Days of Glory (Les Indigènes)
- Rachid Bouchareb, Outside the Law (Hors la loi)
- Mehdi Charef, Summer of 62 (Les Cartouches Gauloises)
- Leila Sebbar, The Seine was Red, Paris October 1961, Indiana University Press, 2008
Group 2
- Azouz Begag Ethnicity & Equality: France in the Balance, University of Nebraska Press, 2007
- Azouz Begag, Shantytown Kid, University of Nebraska, 2007
- La Cité de l’Immigration
Group 3
- Faiza Guène, Bar Balto, Chatto & Windus, 2011
- Fadela Amara, Breaking the Silence: French Women’s Voices from the Ghetto, University of
California Press, 2006
- Assia Djebbar, Chidren of the New World, The Feminist Press at CUNY, 2005
Group 4
- La Marche des Beurs
- Music
Field Study (One short assignment paper)
Each student will be asked to write one short assignment paper on one of the out-of-class visits. This needs to be two sides (1.5 spaced) long. It should include a little background research about the place and your personal reactions. Again if any sources are used, they need to be stated. You will be assessed on clarity and research. You will be asked to hand in this assignment near the end of the semester.
Classroom Debates
There will be a debate on the 2004 law (banning the wearing of religious symbols in public schools) and the 2010 law (banning the covering of the face in the public space). Class will be divided into two
groups: one defending the law and the other speaking against it. You will be expected to do the
necessary readings and come prepared to present your point of view. You will be assessed on plausibility of the argument, the ability to respond to the other side, and accuracy of knowledge.
In–class Written Examinations: Quiz; Midterm; Final
The format of both the midterm and the final examinations will be knowledge-based short answer questions. I am looking for comprehension and the ability to recall the information that was acquired.
Please make sure you fix a time to see me during office hours to review and go over the lessons before
the examinations.
Class Policy
- There are no additional or make-up assignments.
- Late assignments will not be accepted.
Academic Dishonesty
Regardless of the quality of work, plagiarism is punishable with a failing grade in the class. Plagiarism may be broadly defined as “copying of materials from sources, without acknowledging having done so, claiming other’s ideas as one’s own without proper reference to them, and buying materials such as essays/exams."
content:
This class meets twice per week, on Monday and Wednesday (note: the days of the week that this course is offered may vary from term to term). Readings will be discussed during the Wednesday (or second class session) of each week. Please come prepared with the readings or the books.
Week 1:
Monday & Wednesday
Lecture/Introduction: Islam and the rest of the world: How Islam travelled West. The West’s perception of Islam: a question of methodology.
Key topics to discuss on Wednesday: How was the West affected by colonialism?
Monday & Wednesday (Week 3)
Out-of-class visit: On your own time visit the Saint Michel Bridge (Metro Saint Michel or Cité line 4) and look for the memorial plaque commemorating the 17 October 1961 massacre.
Monday: Oral Presentation 1
Reading:
- Frederick Quinn, French Overseas Empire, pp. 107- 133 (made available at IES Abroad Center)
- The Manifesto of the 121
Key Topics to discuss on Wednesday: The effects of the Algerian War on metropolitan France and the effects of the colonial legacy on French society today.
Week 4:
Monday & Wednesday
Lecture: France’s presence in the Middle East: Syria and Lebanon
Wednesday: In-class quiz, short answer questions on the class so far
Reading:
- William Cleveland , A History of the Modern Middle East, pp. 149-174 (made available at IES)
- F.S Northedge, The League of Nations: its life and times 1920-1946, pp 192 – 220 (made available at IES)
Key topics to discuss on Wednesday: France’s role in the Levant (Syria and Lebanon); what are the long term effects of this history?
Section 2: The Muslims Amongst the French
Week 5:
Monday & Wednesday
Lecture: The Muslim immigrants
Monday: Oral Presentation 2
Key topic to discuss on Wednesday: Is France multi-cultural? Is Islam a threat to France? How does France compare to the United States? Should France become more multi-cultural? If so, why? If not, why not?
Week 6:
Monday & Wednesday
Lecture: Laicité and Islam, the History of Laïcité in France
Monday: Oral Presentation 3
Reading:
- John Bowen, Why the French don’t like headscarves, pp. 1-34
Key topic: France & the United States: How do the two countries view secularism?
Week 7:
Monday & Wednesday
Review and midterm
Monday & Wednesday
Lecture: Islam and the question of women
Wednesday: Classroom debate: Should French girls be allowed to wear a headscarf in schools?
Reading:
- John Bowen, Why the French don’t like headscarves, pp. 63-128
Week 9:
Monday & Wednesday
Lecture: French anxieties in regards to Islam
Wednesday: Class room debate: Should the full veil be allowed?
Reading:
- John Bowen, Why the French don’t like headscarves, pp. 153- 242
Week 10:
Wednesday (No class Monday) Oral Presentation 4
John Bowen, Why the French don’t like headscarves, Princeton University Press, 2007
Additional articles and documents are assigned every week will be posted on Moodle.
Brief Biography of Instructor:
Mariam Habibi received her MDEA and PhD in History, Science Po, Paris, and her MA in History, University of London. She is adjunct professor and thesis director at the American Graduate School of International Relations and Diplomacy, and her most recent publication is History: a Course Companion, Oxford University Press (in co-authorship), 2010.
France, The Middle East And Islam
We have in recent years witnessed, on the one hand, the revival of religious beliefs and practices in Muslim countries and, on the other hand, a sudden awareness of the presence of Muslims in Europe. Indeed, following the Iranian Revolution of 1979, Islam came to play an important role in international politics, and since September 11th, 2001, Islam has become the concern of all in the non-Muslim world.
The presence of Muslims in Europe dates back to soon after the advent of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula. Muslim communities settled in Spain and in Southern Italy from as far back as the 8th century. Muslims however did not come to settle in France. In the year 732, Charles Martel is said to have heroically ‘saved’ France from the invading Muslims. Yet France has today the highest percentage of Muslims in Europe.
These communities entered France and came to settle there under very different circumstances: as ‘subjects’ of French colonies, then members of the French Union, and later French community; they responded to a call for work in the post-World War II period of economic reconstruction and emigrated to Europe. Today their children are the Muslim boys and girls of France and many identify closely with their Islamic heritage. For a country that has, since 1905, uncompromisingly championed the cause of secularism, this reality has been hard to accept.
The close connection between France and the Arab world has also shaped France’s foreign policy. Starting with Napoleon’s conquest of Egypt at the end of the 18th century followed by a policy of colonization, and later as a mandate power in the Levant, France has aimed to play a major role in the region.
The class will be broken up into three sections: in the first section we will take a historical look at France’s presence in the Muslim regions of the world. In the second section, we will concentrate on French society today and how the French state has encouraged the integration of French Muslims. Finally in the last section, we will turn to France’s foreign policy and evaluate France’s position towards the Middle East.
By the end of the course, students are able to:
Lectures, class discussions, student presentations, class debates. Links to readings, complementary information on field studies and subjects discussed in class, and outlines of class lectures will be posted regularly on Moodle. Students should also check the Moodle Forum regularly.
- Oral presentation: 15%
- Field study (one short assignment paper): 10%
- Classroom debates: 10%
- In-class quiz: 5%
- Midterm exam: 30%
- Final exam: 30%
Oral Presentation
Each student (or a group of students) is required to prepare one oral presentation (10-15 min.) on one of the topics/books/films indicated below. You should choose your topic by the beginning of the second week. You will be given your presentation dates at the end of the first week. Presentations should be lively and well prepared (i.e. reading from a text or a group of texts downloaded from the Internet is not acceptable). You should be ready to answer questions on your subject. You will be assessed on clarity and knowledge of the subject. Please remember to state your sources.
Topics for the oral presentations:
Group 1
- Rachid Bouchareb, Days of Glory (Les Indigènes)
- Rachid Bouchareb, Outside the Law (Hors la loi)
- Mehdi Charef, Summer of 62 (Les Cartouches Gauloises)
- Leila Sebbar, The Seine was Red, Paris October 1961, Indiana University Press, 2008
Group 2
- Azouz Begag Ethnicity & Equality: France in the Balance, University of Nebraska Press, 2007
- Azouz Begag, Shantytown Kid, University of Nebraska, 2007
- La Cité de l’Immigration
Group 3
- Faiza Guène, Bar Balto, Chatto & Windus, 2011
- Fadela Amara, Breaking the Silence: French Women’s Voices from the Ghetto, University of
California Press, 2006
- Assia Djebbar, Chidren of the New World, The Feminist Press at CUNY, 2005
Group 4
- La Marche des Beurs
- Music
Field Study (One short assignment paper)
Each student will be asked to write one short assignment paper on one of the out-of-class visits. This needs to be two sides (1.5 spaced) long. It should include a little background research about the place and your personal reactions. Again if any sources are used, they need to be stated. You will be assessed on clarity and research. You will be asked to hand in this assignment near the end of the semester.
Classroom Debates
There will be a debate on the 2004 law (banning the wearing of religious symbols in public schools) and the 2010 law (banning the covering of the face in the public space). Class will be divided into two
groups: one defending the law and the other speaking against it. You will be expected to do the
necessary readings and come prepared to present your point of view. You will be assessed on plausibility of the argument, the ability to respond to the other side, and accuracy of knowledge.
In–class Written Examinations: Quiz; Midterm; Final
The format of both the midterm and the final examinations will be knowledge-based short answer questions. I am looking for comprehension and the ability to recall the information that was acquired.
Please make sure you fix a time to see me during office hours to review and go over the lessons before
the examinations.
Class Policy
- There are no additional or make-up assignments.
- Late assignments will not be accepted.
Academic Dishonesty
Regardless of the quality of work, plagiarism is punishable with a failing grade in the class. Plagiarism may be broadly defined as “copying of materials from sources, without acknowledging having done so, claiming other’s ideas as one’s own without proper reference to them, and buying materials such as essays/exams."
This class meets twice per week, on Monday and Wednesday (note: the days of the week that this course is offered may vary from term to term). Readings will be discussed during the Wednesday (or second class session) of each week. Please come prepared with the readings or the books.
Week 1:
Monday & Wednesday
Lecture/Introduction: Islam and the rest of the world: How Islam travelled West. The West’s perception of Islam: a question of methodology.
Reading:
- Christopher J. Walker, ‘Friends or Foes? The Islamic East, and the West’, History Today, March 2007
- Edward Said, Orientalism , chapter one ‘Knowing the Oriental ‘ pp. 31-49
- Richard Bulliet, ‘A case of selective memory’ International Herald Tribune July 11, 2007
- Accounts of the Battle of Poitiers
Key topics to discuss on Wednesday: How does the West perceive the Muslim world? Why?
Section 1: The French Amongst the Muslims
Weeks 2 and 3:
Lecture: France and her North African empire: The conquest of Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia
Monday & Wednesday (Week 2) Reading:
- Jules Ferry, ‘On French Colonial Expansion’, Speech before the French Chamber of deputies, March 28th, 1884.
- Benjamin Stora, Algeria 1830-2000: A short History, pp. 1-27
- Robert Aldrich, Greater France: A history of French Overseas Expansion, pp. 24-35
Key topics to discuss on Wednesday: How was the West affected by colonialism?
Monday & Wednesday (Week 3)
Out-of-class visit: On your own time visit the Saint Michel Bridge (Metro Saint Michel or Cité line 4) and look for the memorial plaque commemorating the 17 October 1961 massacre.
Monday: Oral Presentation 1
Reading:
- Frederick Quinn, French Overseas Empire, pp. 107- 133 (made available at IES Abroad Center)
- The Manifesto of the 121
Key Topics to discuss on Wednesday: The effects of the Algerian War on metropolitan France and the effects of the colonial legacy on French society today.
Week 4:
Monday & Wednesday
Lecture: France’s presence in the Middle East: Syria and Lebanon
Wednesday: In-class quiz, short answer questions on the class so far
Reading:
- William Cleveland , A History of the Modern Middle East, pp. 149-174 (made available at IES)
- F.S Northedge, The League of Nations: its life and times 1920-1946, pp 192 – 220 (made available at IES)
Key topics to discuss on Wednesday: France’s role in the Levant (Syria and Lebanon); what are the long term effects of this history?
Section 2: The Muslims Amongst the French
Week 5:
Monday & Wednesday
Lecture: The Muslim immigrants
Monday: Oral Presentation 2
Reading:
- Jocelyne Cesari, ‘Islam in France: The shaping of a religious minority’ in Yvonne Haddad-Yazbek
(ed), Muslims in the West from Sojourners to Citizens, Oxford: OUP, 2002 (p. 36-51)
Key topic to discuss on Wednesday: Is France multi-cultural? Is Islam a threat to France? How does France compare to the United States? Should France become more multi-cultural? If so, why? If not, why not?
Week 6:
Monday & Wednesday
Lecture: Laicité and Islam, the History of Laïcité in France
Monday: Oral Presentation 3
Reading:
- John Bowen, Why the French don’t like headscarves, pp. 1-34
Key topic: France & the United States: How do the two countries view secularism?
Week 7:
Monday & Wednesday
Review and midterm
Monday & Wednesday
Lecture: Islam and the question of women
Wednesday: Classroom debate: Should French girls be allowed to wear a headscarf in schools?
Reading:
- John Bowen, Why the French don’t like headscarves, pp. 63-128
Week 9:
Monday & Wednesday
Lecture: French anxieties in regards to Islam
Wednesday: Class room debate: Should the full veil be allowed?
Reading:
- John Bowen, Why the French don’t like headscarves, pp. 153- 242
Week 10:
Wednesday (No class Monday) Oral Presentation 4
Reading:
- Thirza Vallois, ‘Walk off the beaten Paris path’ www.thirzavallois.com
Week 11
Monday and Friday (No class Wednesday) Lecture: French Muslims in Paris
Friday: Field trip—a visit to the Goutte D’or
Section 3: France and the Middle East
Week 12:
Monday & Wednesday
Lecture: France’s policy in the Middle East; an overview
Reading:
- Richard Gillespie, ‘The Euro-Mediterranean partnership initiative’ Mediterranean politics, Vol 2, issue 1, 1997. (made available at IES Abroad Center)
Week 13:
Monday & Wednesday
Lecture: The Arab Spring and France’s reaction
Reading:
- Yonatan Touval ‘European Politics in the face of the Arab upheaval’, Israel Journal of Foreign
Affairs, Vol 5, no 2 , 2011
- Bruce Crumley, ‘Why France is staying silent on Tunisia turmoil?’ Time Magazine, Wednesday
January 12th , 2011
- Steven Erlanger, ‘France seen wary of interfering in Tunisia crisis’ New York Times, January 16th,
2011
- Perrine Mouterde, ‘France faces criticism over soft touch with Tunisia’ France 24, January 13th,
2011
- Barah Mikhail, ‘France and the Arab Spring: an opportunistic quest for influence’ FRIDE, October
11th , 2011 (made available at IES)
Final exam
Mariam Habibi received her MDEA and PhD in History, Science Po, Paris, and her MA in History, University of London. She is adjunct professor and thesis director at the American Graduate School of International Relations and Diplomacy, and her most recent publication is History: a Course Companion, Oxford University Press (in co-authorship), 2010.