But what about "isolationist" secularism in France?

French President Emmanuel Macron is waging a political, cultural and media war against what he calls Islamic isolationism, by which he means the religious and cultural practices of some Muslims in France, and which Macron sees as threatening the values ​​of the French Republic, and seeks to "establish a parallel system" and "deny the republic," according to his early statements Last October.

Macron also made rude statements that reflect a crude ignorance of Islam, which he accused of being "a religion that today is experiencing a crisis everywhere in the world."

In fact, there is a crisis there.

But it is not in Islam as Macron claims, and those who defend it east and west, it is in French secularism and its secular model, which failed miserably to accommodate all segments of French society over the past half century, and without delving into the political and economic backgrounds that stand in the background of Macron's statements The foolish, which does not differ much from the statements of his predecessors, especially with the approaching election season, the French secular model has been suffering many problems since it was approved and codified in 1905 through the legislation that was issued that year, and became the legal and value reference for secularism in France.

This legislation originated the process of separating the state from the church, while the aim of that law was to achieve social cohesion and harmony between the components of the French people, to create a homogeneous sense of the French identity, and to neutralize the state from interference in the religious field;

However, over the past decades, it has transformed into a method and mechanism for monitoring and codifying the behavior of citizens and forcibly controlling their value and moral systems, in contradiction to the principles of freedom and liberalism that France raises its slogan or so it claims.

This model has failed, as is evident from the recurring incidents of social and cultural violence and rebellion, to assimilate and integrate important components within French society, especially the Islamic component.

It is not about economic and social integration, as many Muslims suffer from marginalization, neglect, poverty and poor living conditions through systematic policies that have been enshrined over decades, as well as dealing with them as second-class citizens, and the discrimination that occurs against them in the fields of education, work, career and social advancement. Etc., but rather the political and cultural integration that is based on the recognition and respect of religious and cultural pluralism.

Likewise, one cannot ignore the view of contempt and contempt that politicians and intellectuals in France deal with Muslims, and we will not forget when former French President Nicolas Sarkozy once described them as "scum", when young people in the neighborhoods of Paris, especially those inhabited by Muslim communities, rose up to protest their situation The living.

France’s treatment of its Muslims and "immigrants" reminds us of America's dealings with black Americans or African Americans;

In other words, the problem of Muslims in France is similar to the problem of blacks in America, who suffer from structural marginalization in various aspects of society.

They are constantly under suspicion, suspicion and mistrust of the state and its institutions

Macron talks about a "parallel system" for the religious, cultural and educational life of segments of France's Muslims who refuse to integrate into the public order and abide by the values ​​of the "French Republic," as he claimed.

And if this is true, then what should be blamed here is not the Muslims of France, but the French state, which has largely failed to integrate them softly and constructively, not through coercion and coercion, but through recognition of pluralism and diversity.

The attempt to create a homogeneous "French nation" is nothing but an imagination or a dream that will not be fulfilled, not because of the refusal of Muslims or others to be part of that imagined nation, but because of the policies and procedures followed by the successive French governments, which do not recognize the rights of these people as citizens, and do not respect Their religious and cultural backgrounds.

France is still dealing with a "colonial" mentality with its Muslims and citizens, especially the generation that came in the sixties and seventies as "guest workers" as they were called in order to help in the economic renaissance of France;

But they settled there and did not return to their countries, especially in North Africa.

And still drawing its policies towards them as "immigrants", not citizens with the same rights as the "white French".

France’s treatment of its Muslims and "immigrants" reminds us of America's dealings with American blacks or African Americans;

In other words, the problem of Muslims in France is similar to the problem of blacks in America, who suffer from structural marginalization in various aspects of society.

They are constantly subject to suspicion, suspicion and mistrust of the state and its institutions. Macron’s talk about "radical Islam" is not different from the talk of US President Donald Trump on the same subject, which is not without ignorance and confused a few extremists with the rest of the Muslims, whose number exceeds one and a half billion people. .

It is sometimes a deliberate mixing, in order to get rid of the currents of political Islam.

Here, one should not ignore the strong alliance between Macron and the Arab authoritarians, especially in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which targets these currents, and does not differentiate between a moderate and an extremist.

In other words, it seems that the French secular model has reached a dead end after nearly a century of its approval, and there is no doubt that today it is experiencing a real crisis from which there is no way out except through a review of the structure of this model and its moral reference, in a way that helps the integration of immigrants, whether Muslims or other minorities, real integration through recognition of their right to choose their religious and moral reference, and end the policies of marginalization and discrimination against them, and deal with them as "citizens", and not just a burden or a threat to the state and society.