Juifs et Musulmans en France : le modèle républicain d'intégration en question

Abstract

Jews and Muslims in France: the Republican Integration model under debate. Taking in account the changes of pluralism and the transformations of the French State, I propose to compare the process of integration of Jews (during the XIXe Century) with that of Muslims in French society today. I first present the «confessional model» which characterizes the Jewish process of integration during the last century and I show how the Jewish community has moved away from this model. But French society had also changed: religions had followed a continuous process of adaptation to mundane values («internal secularization»); the French «laïcité» is also more opened to true religious pluralism and to public manifestations of religion. Following these changes, Muslims want to participate in them, especially the young generation which is more and more involved in the Muslim leadership and which claims the same rights as other religious groups. Therefore, while adopting the «confessional model», they refuse to be confined to that strict pattern which is the core of the «republican model of integration» they are required to follow.