The Representation of Islam and Muslims in French Print Media Discourse: Le Monde and Le Figaro as Case Studies

Abstract

France is one of the European countries having large numbers of Muslims. The latter are confronted with the principle of laicité that France adopts. This principle is incompatible with some of Muslims’ rituals and practices since laicité bans public religious practices. Equally important, due to many attacks that have hit France, and which are allegedly attributed to Muslims, this minority suffers vilification and discrimination. However, Muslims should be treated and reported fairly in France as the Article One of the French Constitution declares that “it [France] shall ensure the equality of all citizens before the law, without distinction of origin, race, or religion”. This signifies that French institutions, especially the media, should apply the article above and try to present a fair image of its citizens including Muslims. Media, in this regard, are at play in their representation of this minority of French citizens. Nevertheless, most Western media rely on the Orientalist views to report Muslims and Islam (Edward Said, Orientalism, New York: Vintage, 1977). In this study, both qualitative and quantitative approaches will be used to examine the representation of Muslims in the two French newspapers, which are Le Figaro and Le Monde.