The Muslim Town in France: Difficulties and Possibilities

Abstract

The most difficult aspect of the integration of migrants in France is the relationship between Islam and laïcité, which refers to the separation of church and state. In recent years, laws have been enacted prohibiting Muslim women from wearing the hijab or headscarf in public schools. In urban spaces, the visibility of Muslims also came into question, when, in the 1990s, collective street prayers began to take place in the Goutte d’Or district of Paris due to a lack of prayer space stemming from the urban renovation project that began in the 1980s. This district was thus strongly recognized as a Muslim town by French society, and it became a target for attacks by segregationist groups, sometimes under the laïcité slogan. As such, state law could be viewed as providing justification for the behavior of these groups. However, the city of Paris has sought to resolve the issue by overcoming the barriers of the system through negotiation with local residents. The Muslim town in France can, therefore, be viewed as a space that embodies both the difficulties and possibilities of integrating migrants.