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4/1/2007 - France’s Hidden Muslims: A Weekend with the Union of Islamic Organizations by Kay Dilday

ICWA KAD FRANCE Kay Dilday Institute Fellow studying relationships French North African immigrants France North Africa letters Since Institute Current World Affairs Crane Rogers Foundation provided termfellowships enable outstandingyoung professionals outsidethe United States write about international areas issues An exempt operating foundationendowed Charles R Crane Institute supportedby contributions mindedindividuals foundations TRUSTEES Bryn Barnard Carole Beaulieu Mary Lynne Bird Steven Butler Virginia R Foote Peter Geithner Gary Hartshorn Pramila Jayapal Robert A Levinson Cheng Li David Z Robinson John Spencer Susan Sterner Edmund Sutton Boris Weintraub HONORARY TRUSTEES David Elliot David Hapgood Pat M Holt Edwin S Munger Richard H Nolte Albert Ravenholt Phillips Talbot France Hidden Muslims A Weekend Union Islamic Organizations By K A Di April At Le Bourget April I hidden community French Muslims They suburbs outer arrondissements Paris Many exist entirely their communities working manual labor selling perfume jewelry street running little stores although usually remains hidden women perhaps doing housecleaning sewing money It until annual meeting French Muslims Le Bourget suburb outside Paris I realized insular these worlds The weekend gathering sponsored UOIF Union Organisations Is lamiques France Union Islamic Organizations France The UOIF Muslim organizations largely Tunisian links allowed coordinate their efforts after forbidding foreigners forming profit organizations France amended Since UOIF annual gathering Frenc Muslims another discuss issues concern The meeting early April hotly debated presidential election Political social analysts offered their opinions Egyptian Koranic scholar little known Arabic speaking world largest audience The issue mattered France election scarcely mattered women attending gathering though French newspapers weeks talked little In their world Sheikh Omar Abdelkafi interpretation Koran female relations compelling Sheikh Abdelkafi spoke Saturday first annual gather The before earlier Saturday I easily found chair I entered lecture Just before Sheikh Abdelkafi I vainly looking tripping numerous strollers every empty I tried someone waved Then Sh Abdelkafi peared women rushed toward stage I realized women friends guarding their places raced photographs their version He dressed Western Sheikh Abdelkafi sheikh As began speak I realized Muslim women loved The woman money The woman makeup wants beautiful The second unless first allows Sheikh Abdelkafi spoke Arabic pausing periodically French interpretation Ah I thought I French women behind would chatter animatedly during French translation discussing Arabic And finished I watched It prayer Where I realized crowd moving I In lecture cassettes Sheikh Abdelkafi teachings being underneath large posters I thought known schol Yet later I searched Internet learn I could little other brief mention article Youssef M Ibrahim New York Times Ibrahim wrote tapes Egypt Sheikh Abdelkafi Muslims should shake hands Christians share sidewalk I Sheikh Abdelkafi around selling tapes least years He Arabic language website Yet I searched media databases ening search include romance guages there scarcely mention After being France I finally getting glimpse moves France hidden Muslim communities although unfor tunately impact strike until after meeting It seemed almost women Le B ourget meeting hijab darker skinned women Saharan Africa likely amira close fitting scarf They people outer districts largely suburbs rarely leave In central Paris I almost never woman djellabah loose fitting North Africans cover their clothes I neighborhood Northern Paris during I mostly Muslim little shops neighborhood As women I every Sat urday morning their carts backs frenzy North African greenmar under subway tracks border rondissement This learning tered Just after ference I Natacha Henry author recently leased Exciseuse An terview Hawa Gr Ms Gr Malian woman resident France since performed clitori dectomies infants girls France years before arrested tried sentenced eight years prison That Hawa Gr story covered But Hawa Gr victim ignorance isolation Sixty three years Mama Gr known first legal French Senegalese Malian third He gives Mama Gr money living KAD divorced leave their Drancy suburb outside Paris The third author Linda Weil Curiel lawyer prosecuted Weil Curiel since Gr advocate Ms Weil Curiel helping Mama Gr apartment French structor In France people involved divorce Ms Weil Cu Mama Gr Mama Gr speaks lmost French happi prison torments husband wives trying discard years Unable language Mama Gr passed prison listening Koranic tapes Perhaps Sheikh Abdelkafi among I quite thick writing I always wondered market tapes Koranic scholars large And I finally realized cause majority Muslim world including extremely devout Muslims Western countries Mama Gr When Sheik Abdelkafi finished speaking Le Bour I stayed lecture Fouad Alaoui president UOIF presidential tions I thought would attended empty I problem finding front A discussion presidential obviously interesting Sheikh Abdelkafi pronouncements female relations The major French papers ticles about annual gathering The headlines about Mr Alaoui speech pronouncements candidates I think I their reporters They people sitting front section empty taking notes along everyone Sheikh Abdelkafi mention There places departing crowds could In addition lecture conference offered prayer center question center Dar El Fatwa exhibition The exhibition bustling center merce transfer funds Islam There charities support Palestine Califat sweatshirts shirts Westernized Muslim djellabahs traditional Muslims tapes INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Sheik Abdelkafi lectures Hani Ramadan brother Tariq spoke Koranic paraph books animated films Life Prophet children I devices Koran loaded Halal But prominent presence raisers mosques Every someone soliciting money build mosque This issue France As I tioned KAD French secularity using state money build religious structures By France already numerous churches Al though mosques obtain assistance using benefit profit cultural organizations usually leases assistance regional government securing group people wants mosque their community usually raise money build through private tions Fund raisers booths architectural planned mosque One chains Men walked around sandwich board sheaths drawing mosque Two handed could their mosque project weekly disbursement In report High Council Integration estimated number mosques Muslim prayer sites In French Ministry Foreign Affairs reported number approximately These range small meeting rooms seven grand mosques Recognizing behooved state Is lamic instruction where large public mosques rather small private settings there several initiatives around communities build large visible mosques Yet imams prefer preach under cover Mama Gr faithfully attended mosque finally peace stopping clitoridectomies found Koran It imams people prosecuted In these closed communities imams exist shadows Ara language cloaks uthorities The interior ministry mission ensure imams speak French Arabic makes watchful authorities decipher their message Sheikh Omar Abdelkafi seems exist outside Muslim community primary example An educated sophisticated Egyptian likely speaks English Sheikh Abdelkafi prefers maintain presence Arabic which certainly prevents people finding about The message I heard peaceful Ibrahim suggest Sheik Abdelkafi other sages Lhaj Thami Breze president UOIF followed Sheikh Abdelkafi stage spoke about history organization He comfortable speaker speech interesting rundown names dates Yet I noted Mr Breze mentioned Nicolas Sarkozy least seven times repeatedly referring actions Muslims creating Muslim Council national representative which Mr Breze president It subtle support Mr Sarkozy presidency surprise after Muslim groups disappointment cited KAD Mr Sarkozy support defendant French Muslim groups reprinting Danish Prophet cartoons France Mr Breze followed UOIF senior president speech presidential tions The president Mr Alaoui Muslims should avoid extremes either right toward center He ended saying these elections there would others The UOIF interfere their choice It faith people judgment The newspaper reporters Mr Alaoui speech support Francois Bayrou center right party didate talked about bridging divide between right The difference between UOIF leaders messages struck The UOIF erful Muslim organization France terms adherence effective organization people Mr Breze Mr Alaoui appeared different minds about support presi dential election I realized experts often before Muslims Blacks become political force demand chang benefit Muslims place Muslims state positions They deliver votes On Segolene Royal candidate Socialist Party loser Neither these Muslim elders seemed support But truth because people other reporters listening Interestingly Mr Alaoui presi dential candidates invited meeting declined Reputed involved Muslim Brotherhood UOIF reputation servative Muslim organization compared other major force Muslim communities Paris mosque which always close French government largely centered Paris The UOIF stronger position among national Muslim community because organized throughout France Only recent years UOIF begun administration And Mr Breze native Tunisian became French citizen despite holding presidency UOIF since Despite efforts become mainstream candi dates seemed being gather But I spent there I neither heard controversial teachings Even Hani Rama reputedly fundamentalist ended speech saying A Muslim citizen Although Mr Ramadan Swiss The speech surprise The program topic Examples Islamaphobic Acts delivered KAD Boubaker El Hadj Amor UOIF executive council Poitou Charentes region central Western France I expected litany physical attacks perhaps mosque desecration things which happen often regularly But Mr Amor subtle Islamopho insidious mentality among media politicians easily identifiable overt He began saying West countries tried portray Islam irrational primitive sexist violent aggressive He cited three issues reports Muslims resistant doctors examining Mus women sometimes point violence forced marriages cartoon trials Mr Amor pointed percent women Muslim female gynecologist French hospitals there relatively violence against doctors committed Muslims It usual woman female doctor A statistic released women forced marriage Islam untrue But interesting interpretation cartoon trial February covered KAD Several Muslim organizations including UOIF Charlie Hebdo satirical litical magazine reprinted controversial cartoons Mr Amor media cover judgment acquittal Charlie Hebdo story The judge ruled cartoons insulting But ruled cartoons offensive insulting Muslims while speech sacred principle But Mr Amor Provocation against Muslims should punished In between speech following I proached women remained Like women Hanane hijab But unlike alone listening intently Twenty years Paris booths exhibition What think program I asked It interesting Mr Amor speech seemed resonated All those false Islamaphobia perversion promoted politicians Hanane voted every would presidential election She pleased candidates It choice least I leave speech began wanted listen The speaker another theologian I chose wander courtyard The Dar El Fatwa middle Dar El Fatwa handmade outside Ask questions about religion Two young stood monitoring entrances exits They polite I allowed enter could photos after I showed exactly I taken The confirmed inside Muslims asked imams answers questions about Koranic answers fatwa educated opinion Koranic scholar There steady trickle people I couples women alone alone Some moments others longer Again I INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS thought Mama Gr Western lawyers there mandating clitoridecto Koran She known commu people traveled Marseille their daughters What I wondered counsel Mama Gr probably would never meeting Her husband preferred uninformed housebound He managed central Paris where lived years neighborhood boasts trendy restaurants young residents She first attention police French neighbors reported women lining babies screams Now Mama Gr occupation source income She leaves mosque social services where husband other their children refuse share Despite years France Mama Gr resident Her husband French citizen always refused documents needed applica And convicted crime never citizen Mama Gr extreme example I think But I Most women I approached speak seemed understand I better people booths perhaps because their outreach position seemed accustomed dealing people outside Muslim community I spoke people collecting surveys about Muslims might Islamic They model allows Muslims homes accordance Muslim I student French Mus students association seemed happy integrated university community But people Mama Gr woman France almost three decades speaks almost French I never Their husbands hidden Yet since Nicolas Sarkozy mandatory people applying resident speak French classes associations offer these communities filling A teacher Dreux bands their wives class teacher woman before leaving But least women finally getting there When I think conference I understand Sheikh Abdelkafi lecture women swoon photos their video cameras I beginning discover Dutch Somalian activ Ayaan Hirsi Ali right She claims Westerner insular communities their midst She criticizes Western liberals tendency leave immigrant communities themselves respect their culture I spoken hundreds Muslim women France integrated perfectly Francophone completely comfortable French ciety Yet experience annual meeting French Muslims makes wonder women refused speak there Mama Gr caught their little nations within nation putting their faith Allah explained Sheikh Abdelkafi little kindness freedom KAD INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Current Fellows Kay Dilday FRANCE MOROCCO October December Kay studying relationships French North African grants France North Africa A former editor The New York Times Op Ed Kay holds master degree comparative interna tional politics theory Graduate Center City University New York bachelor degree English literature Tufts Univer graduate Universiteit Amsterdam Netherlands Cours Civilisation Sorbonne Suzy Hansen TURKEY April A John O Crane Memorial Fellow Suzy writing about politics religion Turkey A former editor New York Observer appeared Salon New York Times Book Review Nation other publications She graduated University Pennsylvania Derek Mitchell INDIA September As Phillips Talbot Fellow Derek explore impact global trade economic growth Indians living poverty He served volunteer Swaraj Peeth institute New Delhi cated nonviolent conflict resolution Mahatma Gandhi thought Previously Fulbright scholar India Gandhi Peace Foun dation He coordinated foreign policy research George Washington University Institute Communitarian Policy Studies worked political organizer New Hampshire Derek graduated degree religion Columbia University Nicholas Schmidle PAKISTAN February Nick freelance writer interested intersection culture religion politics Asia He Pakistan ICWA fellow examining ethnic sectarian national identity Previously reported Central Asia Iran His published Washing Post Weekly Standard Foreign Policy Christian Science Monitor elsewhere He holds master degree International Affairs American University Raphael Soifer BRAZIL April An actor director playwright musician theatre educator Raphi Soi Donors Fellow studying participant observer tionship between change communities throughout Brazil He worked performer director United States Brazil taught performance prisoners underprivileged youth through People Palace Projects Rio Janeiro Community Works San Francisco He holds bachelor degree Theatre Studies Anthropology Yale University Institute Fellows chosen basis character previ experience promise They young professionals funded spend minimum years carrying designed programs study writing outside United States The Fellows quired report their findings experiences field month They write subject formally informally The result unique reporting analysis periodic assessment international events issues ICWALetters ISSN published Institute Cur World Affairs Inc exempt operating founda corporated New York State offices located Street NW Suite Washington DC The letters provided charge members ICWAand available libraries professional researchers scription Phone Fax orgWeb Executive Director Steven Butler Bookkeeper Program Assistant Jim Guy Publications Manager Ellen Kozak Institute Current World Affairs The Crane Rogers Foun dation The Information contained publication reprinted republished without express written consent Institute Current World Affairs