As Macron Courts the Far-Right, France Launches Crackdown on
Islamo-Leftism
Islamo-leftism is a label coined by the far-right, with many pointing out
the distinct similarities between it and Judeo-Bolshevism, a term created
by German Nazis linking religion with a set of political beliefs. Yet it has
quickly been taken up by many in Frances political center.
by Alan Macleod
February 18th, 2021
Mint Press News
By Alan Macleod
PARIS Frances Minister for Higher Education, Frederique Vidal, has
sparked a nationwide controversy with her announcement that the government
is attempting to stop the spread of what she called Islamo-leftism in
universities. Part of the process, she said, would be for the state to
decide what is academic research and what is activism and opinion,
implying that academics would need government permission to research and
write on topics deemed too politically sensitive.
Vidal singled out post-colonial studies as a particularly problematic area.
I think that Islamo-leftism is eating away at our society as a whole, and
universities are not immune and are part of our society, she said, warning
that France was importing American woke culture.
Her comments provoked serious pushback from academics labeling the
governments move a massive blow against freedom of speech, with the subject
trending on French Twitter.
Islamo-leftism is a label coined by the far-right, with many pointing out
its distinct similarities with Judeo-Bolshevism, a term created by German
Nazis linking religion to a set of political beliefs. Yet it has quickly
been taken up by many in the political center. Le Figaro, Frances
best-selling newspaper, ran a frontpage headline last week titled How
Islamo-leftism is infecting universities. Like the U.S., France is
currently grappling with its own legacy of colonialism and racism.
Le Pen lite (or heavy)?
Embattled president Emmanuel Macron has faced widespread opposition to his
rule since his election, notably to his austerity policies, which provoked
the largest strike since those of May 1968; a fuel tax that sparked the
Yellow Vest movement; and his governments handling of the COVID-19 crisis,
which has led to the deaths of nearly 83,000 people.
Macron was comfortably elected in 2017 after fascist candidate Marine Le Pen
made it into the final runoff against him. However, the election was marred
by widespread abstention and he has struggled with low approval ratings ever
since. And while many breathed a sigh of relief that France had been saved
from a racist president, Macron has constantly leaned towards xenophobia and
the scapegoating of the countrys 5.7 million Muslims in particular. He has
used the countrys secular tradition as an excuse to ban Muslim headwear,
including burqas, leading to police arresting Muslim women or even forcibly
removing their face coverings in public. Macron also introduced new
Islamist separatism legislation that would curtail civil liberties,
playing into the far-rights conception of a Muslim threat.
In a televised debate last week, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin even
attacked Le Pen from the right, claiming that she was too soft on Muslims.
A visibly surprised Le Pen was put in the position of defending civil
liberties and Islam from the government. I am strongly attached to our
French values; I want to conserve total freedom of religion. Thats my
opinion, she said. With one year to go before the next presidential
election, polls show Macron and Le Pen neck-and-neck.
A politically useful racist tradition
France has long carried out questionable policies regarding race. In 2010,
the government expelled over 1,000 Romanian and Bulgarian Roma gypsies
precisely because of their heritage. In doing so, it broke European Union
law, which states that citizens of all member states have the right to live
and settle wherever they like in the EU. A French court also banned the use
of non-standard letters (such as ñ) in baby names, meaning that a number of
celebrated names of Basque and Breton origin (two groups historically
persecuted by the central government) were made illegal overnight.
It is not just in France where the government is attempting to interfere in
education to stifle unwanted debate. As of 2020, schools in England are
prohibited from using material from writers who have expressed
anti-capitalist opinions. Meanwhile, Viktor Orbans Hungarian government
chose to outright ban the teaching of gender studies at universities.
Macrons En Marche party appears to be attempting to undermine Le Pens
support base among Frances white working class. Committed to neoliberal
austerity politics, it is incapable of providing them with material gains.
However, it can fall back on an appeal to the nations reactionary side by
offering a harsh crackdown against the countrys Muslim population. Stoking
fears of a supposed Islamist takeover of universities could be one way to do
it.
Feature photo | Activists hold placards