French Identity Crises

I love to make observations about some weaknesses in the "French Armor". That is want to toss spears at the alleged superiority some French and some non French think possesses that nation. So today how about an observation or two on the changing image the French are evolving into. They are in an..uh..identity crisis, I think. And it is all tied to the massive Muslim and African immigration in France over the last 25 years or so. It appears, in a desperate attempt to save it's traditional view of itself, that France is trying to recapture that arrogant "we are special and the best because we are French" image.

To try to stop the "Muslim horde" changes the French now propagandize school kids about how the "real French" are the only authentic ones. They sing patriotic songs in class, study about French heroes of the past, forbid any non French language or clothing to be worn by the kiddies, legislate to ensure all things naturally French have precedence over the foreign etc. And what is wrong with a little romantic Gallic pride you may ask? Isn't it that shared collective culture that makes any nation great? Well, not if that process includes throwing the Muslim culture and beliefs in the trash.

The French have taken a love it or leave it (France) attitude, an either "you are one of us or not...and get out if not" view. It's not a surprise, the French superiority complex has always been around, but with Muslims numbers increasing so fast the French natives are throwing up a reactionary defense to "save France". This is causing a great deal of tension between the native French and the immigrant French, bringing about a huge increase of the discrimination long obvious in France against non ethnic French.Stopping immigration is now the most common election theme of French politicians. And the French citizens vote for anyone who wants to throw out the immigrants or stop more from coming. The fact of the matter is that today what is French is much harder to define than what we saw in the past. A few natives even suggest it is time for a French make-over, that the French stubbornness to be anything other than native is what has caused France to slip into second rate status in the world. These more progressive natives welcome the changes immigrants are bringing to modernize French culture...but they are usually shouted down or shunned when they promote that idea.

Nations always have identity changes/crises. But countries like France, such as Iran for another example, are intolerant and inflexible of change and handle it badly. To make matters worse, the Muslim "invaders' may be be even more intolerant and inflexible that the French culture it attempts to merge with. It's a clash of stubbornness that is bound to produce more friction than any reasonable French citizen wants.

I wonder if this cultural clash is a microcosm of the Muslim versus Non Muslim spat going on in other places in the world. It's so frustrating one wants to tear off his chador and stomp on it in protest.