Geneva: French political scientist Francois Burgat denounced what he called 'institutional segregation' against Muslims in France during a human rights conference at the UN headquarters in Geneva on Tuesday. Invited by the association Cojep International, Burgat gave a stark assessment of France's political climate toward Muslim citizens, saying the 2021 'separatism' law had accelerated repression.

According to Anadolu Agency, Burgat noted that the 2021 law had already been working before it was adopted, highlighting the dissolution of the Collective Against Islamophobia in France (CCIF) as a turning point. Passed in 2021, the law expanded state oversight to curb what the government called separatism, tightening controls on associations, religious activities, and foreign funding.

Burgat described a 'cascade of measures' in the following years aimed at Muslim associations, educational institutions, and even publishing houses. He argued that the matrix of support for Israel by a majority of political parties is rooted in Islamophobia, with public debate often criminalizing Palestinian actors rather than examining events under international law.

Rejecting the framing of the issue as a religious conflict, Burgat called it a postcolonial struggle, asserting that French society resists allowing the 'fourth generation of Muslims to speak out' on equal terms with other citizens. He emphasized that this generation, now equipped with language, culture, and social standing, represents a democratic advance that challenges the spread of far-right rhetoric. He noted that once-marginal ideas like Islamophobia and identity-based nationalism have permeated much of French politics, including parts of the left.

Despite a stronger and more visible Muslim voice, Burgat warned that 'no strong ideological counter-trend' has yet emerged to shift the balance of power. He expressed pessimism about the current state of affairs, though he remains hopeful for a future reversal.