The academic Haoues Seniguer denounces in a column the “criminalization” of critical Muslims

To denounce Islamophobia or to express critical positions on French politics now systematically exposes Muslims to accusations of “Islamism” or “frequency”, alert Haoues Seniguer, lecturer at Sciences Po Lyon, in a platform published on the daily La Croix website

“We are witnessing a disturbing drift where any visible Muslim – by his appearance or his positions – is immediately suspected of having a hidden agenda“Explains this specialist in the relationship between Islam and politics, author of The authoritarian Republic (The edge of the water, 2022). He points to a finger “Rhetoric of suspicion” fueled by terms like “entrism“, “separatism” Or “Communitarianism”, Employees according to him “approximately but with a devastating stigmatizing effect“.

The situation would have worsened since Emmanuel Macron’s speech at Mureaux in October 2020, marking according to the researcher “Entering a real cultural battle against the visibility of Islam in France”. The recent controversies on the Islamic veil or the defense of the Palestinian cause, often assimilated to support for Hamas, would illustrate this trend. “” “Wearing a scarf or criticizing the Israeli policy of France is enough today to catalog you as Islamist ”he deplores.

The academic particularly calls into question the role of certain “media researchers” and political leaders who, according to him, “feed the rise of the extreme right by taking up its favorite themes ”. He quotes the example of recent allegations according to which only ex-Muslims would be able to fight against Islamism, which, according to him, would amount to considering Muslims practicing as “Either incapable or accomplices“.

This dynamic would have concrete consequences in the public debate: “Since the assassination of Samuel Paty, denouncing Islamophobic acts – tags on mosques, deposits of pig heads – can be worth to those who speak of being accused of putting a target ‘in the back of the authors of these acts”says the political scientist. He denounces a “Perverse logic” Or “The victim becomes suspect”And where “Language precautions often only serve to hide uninhibited Islamophobia”.