La France se dévoile: revealing remnants from the age of empire

Abstract

Despite systematic efforts to repress memories of the colonial past in the French collective psyche, evidence of the country’s “fracture coloniale” continues to surface (Bancel et al.). This article outlines some of the ways in which remnants of this past become visible in the form of politico-legal debates and in fixations in popular culture, most notably in literature, and even within state organizations such as the army. Following an overview of these contemporary issues, the article revisits the 1989 “affaire du foulard” as a case study which encompasses ever-present concerns about the banlieues, identity, education, Islam, and memories of Algeria, and which provides a particularly useful illustration of how discourses from the age of empire are visible in France today. In considering the “affaire du foulard,” the article acknowledges the backdrop of an international focus on Islam but also examines relevant practices from the conquest of Algeria in 1830 to its War of Independence (1954-1962) as well as the crucial context of circumstances in Algeria at the time of the “affaire.” The article thereby points to “l’effet de retour” of colonial practice, whereby colonial mechanisms of power were transported back to the West (Foucault 89). Finally, the analysis turns to contemporary discussions on (un)veiling in light of President Macron’s April 2020 statement that citizens should systematically wear “un masque grand publique” as part of COVID-19 health measures. In this way, the article considers how the 2011 law stating that “Nul ne peut, dans l’espace public, porter une tenue destinée à dissimuler son visage” reconciles with representations of face coverings that evoke Republican values in the context of the pandemic.