In my experience of the French people that I have met, I have come across a lot of racism, from the majority of them.

[sillyme563]

There I said it. I have been married to my French husband now for ten years. I am Muslim and asian.

In the last ten years, I have never heard so much racism as I have in my entire life. Blatant, horrible, disgusting racism - most of it against either black people or Arabs/ Muslims.

'I would never go to South Africa. The safari experience would be good but I don't like black people'
'Gracie's Corner will spoil my child'
'Hijab wearing women are backwards'

ad infinitum.

I just spent the weekend with a couple of our friends from Paris. We walk past two girls in a hijab - cue obligatory conversation about how hijab wearing is wrong. I have to put up with these kinds of comments constantly, from his family and friends, and it's just sad because I have nieces who wear the hijab, and I can't invite them to things where the French are going to be there. I am getting so sick and tired of it, and I just don't have the inclination to be some sort of racial-social justice warrior to argue with all these nasty comments.

You say so yourself😉

Who said religious schools were banned?

Not me. Why do you ask?

Is UK really that different in this respect?
Do you really think that a Smith or a Green would not find a job easier than a Kumar or a Kowalski?

Racism stems from stereotypes, which leads to prejudice. You just stereotyped all French people.

I'd say you have as much work to do in the racism remit as all the people you talk about!

I've found racism everywhere. We just have to try and be aware of it. Oddly enough I encountered quite insane Francophobia in the USA.

Not sure why people are bothered about the hijab. Headscarves were quite common here not that long ago. More devout - or showoff - Catholic women would wear a 'mantilla' , black , lacey and somewhat forbidding to mind.

YANBU, OP.

I am French (mixed race) and my entire white side is shockingly racist and not even trying to hide it. I think being racist and discriminatory is completely accepted in French culture in a way that’s frankly outrageous, and I am quite horrified about how acceptable it is to be openly discriminatory towards certain group of people (mainly Muslims).

What’s going on right now in France horrifies me. I feel so sorry for French people who are Muslim and are now threatened to see their nationality revoked etc… I am frankly outraged by the fact that as years go by it’s actually getting worse and not better, and that the terrorist attacks are used as fuel to the fire against Muslims (as a whole) when really I see the terrorist attacks as a fuck you to the French institutionally racist and discriminatory system currently in place, I am completely appalled by terrorist attacks and against all kind of terrorism for any motive but I am thoroughly convinced that it’s not religion that’s making a lot of French born people commit vicious crimes, it’s the fact that France has made it almost a crime to be Muslim and to practice their Religion and alienated a good chunk of their own population, pushing them towards extremism.

Honestly, I am so sorry for you, OP and the many who feel like you. I am not sure what the solution is because I unfortunately don’t see a lot of mentality changing (my family will never change for example) so it’s just hoping the next generation con cohabitate better.

Wouldn't the world be better if no one felt the need to comment on women's attire or the colour of someone's skin etc. It won't change though.

I know a lot of brilliant - not racist - French people.

But I like someone’s phrase that the fish rots from the top. Numbers wise, I bet the French don’t have more racists than the UK, but if the EDL for example got into power here, all of the people that hide their true racist thoughts would probably feel able to air them. I think their government and policies make it acceptable for racists to be more openly racist.

People conflating the OPs post with racism, do not understand what racism is!

I agree that "French people are racist" is a stereotype and generalisation. Not all French people are racists, so it is not helpful to generalise in this way.

However, this is not racism! Racism is the systemic oppression of people of colour. White people may experience prejudice, and occasionally discrimination. But our societies are not built on systemic discrimination against white people. French white people are not financially and socially disadvantaged because they are white.

The irony of this.

There always have to be the posts on these threads explaining racism. Today I don’t have time, so thank you for your patience.

sick of people commenting on the hijab without any lived experience/ meaningful interaction with hijabis. and especially when done under the guise of feminism. it makes me as a hijabi feel that I am not welcome, that my feminism isn't valid (even though I have spent a lifetime working in women's rights and come from a many generations of hijabi women who did the same) and that somehow we are all clumped together as voiceless, backward uneducated, weak willed idiots who do not have autonomy. is there repression women in some cultures? yes.... but in this day and age apart from somewhere like Afghanistan and Iran, women are rarely forced to wear it. but for most of us, the hijab is a symbol of our faith, our love for God and our strength. and it has nothing to do with men. so those on this thread making comments about 'how it is controversial' or you 'condemn it' - be aware how your words hurt others and promote islamophobia.

using extreme examples to nullify and dismiss the experiences and decisions of the majority is not only folly it is essentially an expression of islamophobia.

Racism doesn't stem from stereotypes. It stems from centuries of systematic exploitation of non white people by white people. Stereotypes can be part of racism, but racism is far more than stereotypes.

Nope. Please read my previous posts and also what @AtrociousCircumstance wrote.

hear hear

That seems like an overly reductive definition. Surely you don't mean to suggest that racism can only be found in countries where the majority population is white?

Exactly this.

I take it you've reported your thread to MNHQ and asked them to change the thread title?

I wonder what's taking them so long.

It probably is reductive, I'm not in any way an expert. But I do know there is a huge difference between calling the French racist and the actual lived experience of racism in the world today.

for most of us, the hijab is a symbol of our faith, our love for God and our strength. and it has nothing to do with men.

Don't men need to show their faith & love for God & strength? Why do young children not need to wear hijab? Why can women not show their faith and love for God & strength in the same ways men do? Please do share more about this as its very hard for us to understand why there must be a distinction between how men practise their religion vs women.

Whatever mate

Totally ridiculous to suggest only white people can be racist. It exists in many non white societies against foreigners including whites and I have experienced it myself.
This is the root cause of so much discontent in society when one group suggests only the other group(s) can be (racist, sexist, ageist... etc).
Why you have singled out white people only as racist is beyond me and would suggest you yourself are in fact racist!

Why must she explain this? to anyone?

I'm white. Do you think I'm racist against my own race?

It's quite depressing that so many posters are desperate to point the finger at the OP and others for being racist, and so unwilling to think about the points she makes about her experience of living in France.

Well yes, of course. And again, that's before you even get to the fact that the French aren't a race. Sloppy thinking all over the place today.

But your definition washes over an entire global history where the dominant group has frequently oppressed a minority group on the ground of race, which is preposterous.

And actually, that fact that you have drawn it simply as whites versus everyone else - is more lazy thinking. Go tell that to the Uyghurs in China and see if it floats.