A pointy improve in discrimination towards France’s Muslim inhabitants, the most important in Europe, is seeing an exodus of extremely expert Muslim professionals, specialists have mentioned.
A brand new research by the University of Lille led by Professor Olivier Esteves revealed that extremely educated Muslims are leaving France in massive numbers to hunt higher job alternatives within the U.Okay., U.S., Canada and Dubai, that are extra tolerant of their spiritual beliefs.
After interviewing 1,074 Muslims who left the nation, Esteves argues that greater than two-thirds reported that they moved to follow their faith extra freely, whereas 70% mentioned they left to keep away from racism and discrimination.
Esteves urged that Muslim professionals with in-demand abilities are fed up with the way in which they’re handled within the nation.
“What’s ironic is that France pays for these people’s education, yet the country loses that highly skilled talent because of rampant institutional Islamophobia,” Esteves identified.
Natasa Jevtovic, 38-year-old finance venture supervisor, moved to the U.Okay. from France in 2020 within the hope to have the ability to follow her faith extra simply and being supplied higher job alternatives that match her abilities.
Jevtovic’s resolution to maneuver paid off as since she moved to London, she has been promoted a number of instances and is now incomes double.
She has skilled racist remarks at a number one French financial institution the place she was threatened by her supervisor to be fired for confronting and accusing her colleagues of discrimination.
“People would use racist phrases after which I’d ask them to cease and from that second onward, no one needed to have lunches with me. Nobody needed to speak to me for the subsequent six months, I used to be just below boycotts, Jevtovic advised Anadolu Agency (AA).
She is likely one of the many extremely expert Muslim professionals who don’t really feel welcome in France and for that purpose are taking their abilities the place they really feel are extra appreciated.
‘Lame duck’
Yasser Louati, a French political analyst and human rights advocate who’s presently the pinnacle of the Committee for Justice & Liberties (CJL), advised AA that the shortage of non secular freedom has grow to be a purpose why Muslim professionals are leaving France.
Louati argues that France loses extremely expert expertise due to widespread “institutional Islamophobia,” and that the “sole loser here is France.”
Those who go away France are basically educated and educated in France by public funding which signifies that there is no such thing as a return on investments and as a substitute the rival economies are taking advantage of these with a “rich background, both in terms of their education, and culturally,” he mentioned
“So, one has to ask, how smart are our policymakers to let these people leave the country and work for economies in a globalized world where France is becoming a lame duck,” Louati added.
When you discriminate, you push folks towards exile however “I don’t think leaving is the answer, it is also about confronting these policies,” he mentioned.
According to him, Muslims dwelling in France are discriminated towards within the phrases of training, getting a job, buying a home, and even generally having access to well being care.
The nationwide policymakers would slightly miss out on alternatives that enable folks “to be their equals. It’s too bad for France. And honestly, I salute those countries and those companies that give a fair chance to these young men and women,” he mentioned.
Since 2015 the French authorities has adopted numerous legal guidelines that Muslims say prohibit their spiritual freedoms together with a regulation that was handed in 2016 that prohibits the sporting of hijabs at work.
While In 2017, French President Emanuel Macron and his centrist authorities handed laws that places imams underneath harsh authorities scrutiny.
The authorities has additionally shut down mosques, Muslim-led teams, charities and non-profits, “without due process,” mentioned Louati.
‘More prevalent’
He additional identified that such insurance policies have created a tradition of hostility that in flip are liable for “the rise of Islamophobia in the country.”
The detrimental Muslim portrayal in French media was intensified through the 2022 presidential marketing campaign by far-right candidates Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour, who devoted a lot of their election marketing campaign to the “threats of Islam,” added Louati.
A 2016 research revealed {that a} fifth of all cases of Islamophobia in France occurs within the work atmosphere.
According to a 2021 authorities report, job candidates with Muslim Arab-sounding names have a 32% much less probability of being referred to as in for an interview.
Islamophobia in France is “more prevalent because it is more visible,” nevertheless this doesn’t imply that “other Western governments are better,” mentioned Louati.
“If we take a look at what the U.K. is doing to their Muslims, or what Italy is doing or what, for example, the U.S. is doing, there is no big difference,” nevertheless even when their insurance policies are typically one way or the other radical, there are nonetheless extra alternatives for Muslims there than in France, he identified.
Muslims are absolutely conscious that they can not fully escape prejudice within the West, nevertheless, the discrimination on the office or normally is “more visible and less sophisticated in France,” he added.
“Muslims are trying their very best … Muslims are here to stay like it or not, Muslims have been here before you and they will be here after you,” mentioned Louati.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
