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What's at stake for Muslims in the French election

Marine Le Pen, the far-right candidate, has proposed a ban on Muslim women wearing headscarves in public — and she's in striking distance of upsetting Emmanuel Macron, France's current centrist president in Sunday's upcoming election.

France heads to the polls Sunday — and once again, Islam’s place in France is being debated

CBC News ·
Women calling themselves the 'Hidjabers' warm up facing the French Senate in Paris on Jan. 26, 2022, as a protest after senators voted for a ban on wearing religious symbols during events and competitions organized by sports federations. Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen has proposed a wider ban on Muslim women wearing head scarves anywhere in public. (Bertrand Guay/AFP/Getty Images)
Nothing is Foreign28:00What's at stake for Muslims in the French election

France is electing a new president this weekend — and once again the culture war over Islam is front and centre.

Marine Le Pen, the far-right candidate, has proposed a ban on Muslim women wearing headscarves in public, and she's in striking distance of upsetting Emmanuel Macron, France's current centrist president.

With the debate over French identity and rampant Islamaphobia flaring up again, our guest, Rim-Sarah Alouane, a French legal scholar, says it's "draining" to feel as a French Muslim that "you are never enough."

So what does this moment mean for Western Europe's largest Muslim population? And just how close is France to the brink of a far-right future?

Featuring:

  • Rim-Sarah Alouane, a French legal scholar and civil liberties expert. 
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Nothing is Foreign is a new podcast from CBC News and CBC Podcasts. A weekly trip to where the story is unfolding. Hosted by Tamara Khandaker.

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