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12/8/2007 - speech delivered at the Members and Trustees meeting 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 Hapgood Edwin S Munger Albert Ravenholt Phillips Talbot Transcript speech delivered Members Trustees meeting Institute Current World Affairs Cosmos Club De cember Washington D C By K A Dilday Salaam Alaaikum Bonjour Hello I believe years passed since June weekend I potential fellow I nervous breakfast lunch dinner lapsed I The I played answering machine message congratulations Peter Martin I excited I started hyperventilate I promise I eaten today I hyperventilate although I happy So first thank The ICWA fellowship changed Now mushiness aside I begin bringing Cliford Geertz anthropolo whose tremendous effect thinking I mentioned Mr Geertz several times newsletters reports these months Mr Geertz called interpretive anthropology study cultures He begun academic career intending journalist novelist switched philosophy studies before finally ending anthropologist training never He wrote beautiful evocative stories about other cultures trenchant compassionate philosophical insights about intercultural relations morality Mr Geertz studied Islamic communities Indonesia Mo rocco spoke about battles between called ethnocentrists scholars anthropologists other philosophers believe different cultures different values ideas right behavior which should strive understand those other debate ethnocentrists quite pleased their culture disturbed overmuch outside influences This battle raging academy public although awareness In halls universities think tanks death fight Mr Geertz brought empirical evidence debate perspective grounding separated academics shaped their perspective about world their university offices As If capaciously judge course warned ourselves capaciously I discuss questions Mr Geertz fellow academics grappled chief among place ethnocentrism Ethnocentrism identity become themes century They central questions fellow which exploration Moroccans other immigrants France In today world longer innocent theoretical academic discussions about cultural congress reciprocal admiration curiosity tolerance These questions fundamental direction European states taking their boundaries increasingly borderless continent France often invoked timeless ntity fixed identity And stand countries Europe Donald Rumsfeld infamous described those mighty Western European nations In these countries national histories global migrations produced rapidly mutating demographics The judging cultures repudiating cultural practices seems vital continuation daily citizens Western Europe liberal democracies Or rather think because I learned during fellowship unbeknownst their fellow Frenchmen there people living Algerian hamlet French banli St Denis Moroccan mountain Marseilles Malian village Paris When I wrote ICWA proposal I sitting windowless corner floor New York Times Op Ed office The window world outside analogy situation I Vast quantities information poured office world It input could Mississippi think getting encompassing perspective But I stepped outside office country often enough there places where people never heard New York mighty paper record The New York Times Those people weren sending pieces I thinking feeling It three years after September terrorist attacks United States struggling figure Many analyses decided Muslims hated West because nothing received skewed perspective Western propaganda campaign And pundits espoused these theories styled experts spent little among people talking about But I years earlier France I Muslims reared Europe found France promises egalite liberte fraternite Clifford Geertz thought understanding other motivations essential forming human values And Kay Dilday right sister Erika Dilday meant understanding I heard saying comprehended necessarily I agree derstanding And would judgments plotting course humanity From I ICWA founder Charles R Crane I think would echoed Geertz prescription seeing capaciously resounding Because these thanks other women I world years voracious One hugest tasks fellowship figuring exactly doing fellows We anything other write newsletter That freedom heady daunting ICWA fellowsh moment where discover almost about yourself about people So capaciously Is skill learned I think I arrived France before country exploded riots sparked death Clichy Sous Bois desolate French suburbs generation immigrants I leaving heels month riots which sparked death Villiers Bel another desolate suburb In slain youths Malian Tunisian origin young teens month Moroccan Senegalese origin They lived suburbs physically close Paris physically world These neighborhoods large concrete tower blocks filled unhappy aimless underemployed youth believe French promise Liber Egalite Fraternite When I lived France college student I never these barren suburbs I spent central Paris which exquisitely beautiful It jewel perfectly preserved polished gleaming exquisite studied insouciance Now I outer arrondissements right Parisians little Africa Chateau Rouge worst neighbor Paris according landlady warned against moving there But I think Chateau Rouge brant neighborhoods Paris alive unofficial street corner commerce galleries imported African foods salons halal butchers little shops hours It array French people their phenotypes Once every tourist I walked along banks Seine central Paris among colonnades Pantheon through perfectly manicured gardens Jardin Luxembourg marveling loveliness But durin I preser vation Paris symbol certain mindset refuses allow citizens whose phenotype differs traditional French truly French Paris comme maintenant toujours those fortunate enough insiders those threaten interrupt Many France newer residents ancestors toiled distant plantations fought French could continue These people really welcome crown jewel Paris For direct routes exist And during times tension police train stations outer districts prevent unwanted outsiders entering central Paris During expat France I learned I could shake first three decades other other immigrant I bustled Paris decent dressed tennis shoes exercise pants baggy shirt attire respecting French woman would their people streets I ignored disapproving stares accepted I stopped I would person helped But France after still Western democracy which I accustomed workout djellabah North African caftan My clothes while unappealing weren strange I could whine about Parisians infamous chilliness I could whine about hostile stare French person offers rather apologies I could complain about French doctor habit asking disrobe conducting minute medical history while there completely naked But these things really bother Different pleasing pends shocking There difference between mutual bemusement French I another curious habits natives goggle wonder I experi enced Moroc At first glance everything Morocco looks familiar anyone spent Mediterranean except abundance women headscarves I already accustomed It unspoken rules daunting My first night Morocco I sauntered myself dinner looked after families And women should second floor I stumped People watching essential KAD I people watch second floor lematic I downstairs strangeness behavior would alter theirs In Morocco I became different person I tried covering myself throat degree I dressed conservatively I would blend truth passage streets deflect burning critical And I entered France I relieved dress I anted myself downstairs I wanted spectacle But everyone morphs cross strait Gibraltar separates Europe North Africa The cities Marrakech Tangiers Casablanca There people Morocco France sleeveless their uncovered fitting jeans short skirts But Morocco poorer areas djellabahs replace western foulards ubiquitous And happens St Denis France Sidi Hacem Casablanca largest In France immigrant areas freedoms sexes especially women fewer At first difficult figure I thought about As crimes being committed invading other people homes their person anathema liberal democrats If Moroccan woman France trapped kitchen forbidden husband leave house covered entirely right I comment She woman country support shelter chooses leave But I gradually change I became Mr Geertz would ethnocentric would universalist In field ideology often against experience In absence omniscience intellectual humility crucial humility involves willingness change means contradicting ideas perspectives publicly stood disappointing others expectations perhaps pectations ourselves I think I I shifted thinking after years field In light I mention names writers whose autobiographical books tremendously helpful I grappled these concepts One Fadela Amara French woman Al gerian ancestry recently appointed France minister urban affairs The other apostate Muslim Somalia Ay Hirsi Ali former member Dutch parliament Ms Amara Algerian immigrants industrial southern mountain region France She housing project populated north African immigrants emigrated nearby Michelin factories Ms Amara wrote about France large housing projects called cites increasing pressure young Muslim women They wanted dress pleased More their fathers young tried control women their neighborhood taking their anger frustration lessness disenfranchisement their sisters neighbors Ms Amara founded group Ni Putes Ni Soumises young women banlieues another model based feminist traditions strong France Ms Ali light different group She arrived Europe young adult An immigrant Netherlands Somalia became famous filmmaking partner Theo Gogh killed deranged young Dutch Moroccan heritage The murderer explained actions Islamic ravings Her autobiography powerful effect reverberated through Western Europe It affected because I always agreed INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS often I But because insisted something Western liberals world Muslim immigrants West lived oppressive fortress their midst I beginning inkling right When I Ms Ali I recently annual meeting French Muslims encountered hundreds Muslim women foulard either speak French pretended seemed sheltered afraid talking Considering I conservatively dressed black there apart I couldn frightening I their Through fellow journalist I introduced people Mama Greou Malian woman France quarter century She never learned French victed performing clitoridectomies young girls process mistakenly believed Koran As illiterate could In little Malian enclave Parisian suburb Mama Greou mercy abusive polygamous French African husband Allowing immigrants these private enclaves Ms Ali argued produces Mama Greou It prevents immigrants coming society keeps women prison their cultural backgrounds constructed It difficult people moved light years backgrounds prescribed understand Western liberal country someone might ability escape B course situations midst example renegade Mormon Utah Arizona border Amish Mennonite societies Eastern United States These religions strict claims their members particularly women exist countries But France Netherlands Germany language barrier women impossible escape Ayaan Hirsi Ali really going immigrant communities Europe The communities isolated managed continue their country deriving economic benefit living West Women imprisoned unable communicate unable And prison Despite living West mentally cowed could alternative I never specifically focused women issues I learned about these hidden world I began lieve country freedom while these women essentially shackled This marked change In early months I women veils floor length garments I tried minded think choice By I woman djellabah France reaction visceral No wrong unfair It doesn And Morocco there great divide France between social economic classes Veils inability speak French tegration hallmarks But I about middle class wealthy Immigrants these backgrounds different clashes Republic Racism prejudice France harms everyone betrays those second third generation immigrants followed rules acquired elements necessary success Yet turned becau their funny sounding names I written about Leila Laouati young woman illit erate Algerian immigrants Dreux She worked school graduated Sorbonne repeatedly French enough People Leila often griest They given their identities become French promise equality realize false promise In scholar studies Muslims French prison joined Quaeda better educated those ordinary criminals Many acquired vanced degrees French universities before became angry illusioned murderous The years I spent France Morocco affirmed initial thesis about confusion betrayal Muslims Europe In France equality elusive racism illusive It quite blatant I remember walking Marais popular quarter Paris friends visiting Eng They asked about racism France I pointed little Black Sambo dolls servants window passing You I But wouldn really occur French people dolls might offend someone It ethnocentric cultures immensely satisfied cuisine literature revolution declaration rights centuries A century after revolution Ernest Renan French scholar speech Sorbonne The title Qu nation What nation And intended nition France modern nation A century passed since Renan described nation words still France This mainstream press cited times worth looking Renan audience Sorbonne In speech Renan nation spiritual ciple Two things constitute spiritual principle One possession common legacy memories other present consent desire together petuate value heritage received divided Race nothing When speech published Renan wrote first among hoped would remembered modern civiliza flounders result disastrous ambiguity words nation nationality Although often France still floundering because small adjustments there seems consider itself complete Francis Fukuyama described wrote point mankind ideological evolution One loves proportion sacrifices which sented Renan about citizens proportion suffered France secular country Catho veneer secularism veneer patchy As I mentioned before eleven national holidays derived Christian religion Schools France still close Wednesday because Catechism class Saturday although Judaism France third popular religion For those traditional phenotype habits French person known early century sacrifices asked They should their essential values Western liberal democracies evolve adapt chang nature their population Johann Herder German philoso vociferous proponents national national identity still mutable The zeitgeist country adapts itself silently classes inhabit their needs inclinations insights Well Herder right thing zeitgeist nation adapting However dealing boisterous population because Europe silent messy process I certain quest identity person national leitmotif early century The advent European identity increasingly powerful European Union intra European migrations influx migrants Africa Asia continue alter demographics Western European countries Like people covering these issues I focused perceptions difference sense dislocation immigrants factors hinder their integration larger community These aspects immigrant salient important But there first second generation immigrants Fadela Amara their adopted homeland think stands They staunchly defend these values against encroachment People Ms Amara forefront debate nations France remake selves Will there capacious judging Yes furious judging crucible representative Seeing capaciously before judging capaciously ICWA fellows inevitably positions influ regions topics studied For support along journey I thank I particular thank avuncles Julie Barlow today David Hapgood France checked times addition reading newsletters gentle stern avuncular Peter Bird Martin exhilarating terrifying June meeting years Lu Martin mother henned Ellen Kozak minute email requests Steve Butler supported handled things taught great about writing I begin express gratitude Thanks ICWA fellowship I capaciously there always I could years I stayed after typing fellowship application little windowless small floor New York Times I forever changed Thank ICWA Letters ISSN published Institute Current World Affairs Inc exempt operating foundation incorporated New York State offices located Street NW Suite Washington DC The letters provided charge members ICWAand available libraries professional researchers subscription Phone Fax E Web Executive Director Steven Butler Bookkeeper Administrative Assistant Meera Shah Publications Manager Ellen Kozak Institute Curr World Affairs The Crane Rogers Foundation The Information contained publication reprinted republished without express written consent Institute Current World Affairs