The Socialist Party in France, which as you might guess, is to the left, is currently undergoing a split over the use of the term, Islamophobia". The below article appearing in the French blog, Marianne, explains what the disagreement within the party is all about. The question has relevance beyond France.
It should be noted that the term "Islamophobia" was contrived by Islamists who aimed to silence any criticism of Islam or discussion of any connection between terrorism and Islamic teaching. The word is meant to stigmatize those who speak critically of Islam or certain Muslim groups or individuals. Not only is the word ambiguous as to the questions of hate, fear, (rational or irrational), but it is applied to people who do not hate Muslims as people, but who fear the encroachment of Islam within Western societies and what implications that has for our freedoms and traditional values.
The Socialists below who object to the term rightly point out that they are against hatred or discrimination against Muslims as people and fellow citizens. However, they see the problematic aspects of the term.
The article is translated by Fousesquawk.
"We Socialists continue to reject the term, Islamophobia"
- Collective column
Posted July 6, 2025 at 09:43
This column, signed by several officials of the Socialist Party (PS), including Jerome Guedj, Carole Delga, and Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, argues aginst the use of the term, "Islamophobia", which appeared with the new leadership of the party and the creation pf a "National Secretariat in the fight against racism, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia," a term that is politicized and ambiguous, from which the PS had, until now, kept its distance.
The creation of a "National Secretariat in the fight against racism, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia" concerns us deeply. It marks a worrisome turn in the evolution of our party.
We, however, have collectively rejected, debated, and discarded the term, Islamophobia. Not out of ignorance of attacks and discrimination that impact some of our fellow citizens of the Muslim culture and faith-which we fight against tirelessly, but because the word "Islamophobia" is ambiguous, politicized, and often misused to question the very fundamentals of our Republican pact.
In November 2019, the National Office of the PS had made the decision with lucidity not to participate in the so-called "March Against Islamophobia", in view of the confusion surrounding this word, the presence of people advocating the rejection of secularization, and because the organizers, beyond the legitimate criticism of anti-Muslim violence (during the time of the burning of the Bayonne mosque), had as their theme, the denunciation of the liberticide laws of 2004 and 2010.
In December 2022, a column in Le Monde, signed by Olivier Faure, Corinne Narassiguin, and Jerome Guedj, explained why the Socialist Party should stay away from this trap word.
In 2025, at the heart of the 81st Congress, the National Secularization Commission, led by Jerome Guedj, produced a document that was demanding and clear. It reiterated that the fight against anti-Muslim racism should be inscribed within a universal framework, without capitulating to the demands of those who would like to make religion a political criterion.
This document was signed by Yannick Trigance, Mathieu Klein, Corinne Narassiguin, Fanny Pidoux, Isabelle Santiago, Samira Laal, and Luc Broussy, respected comrades, today named to the National Directorate.
And in the same Congress of Nancy, none of the 3 orientation texts submitted to the vote of the activists used this term.
Contradiction
How could our comrades accept today that the National Secretariat uses precisely this term that they themselves opposed in a thematic contribution in the Congress and deliberately ignored in all of the general contributions, preferring to talk about the scope of anti-Muslim racism? The contradiction deeply calls into question the coherence of our political line.
Unfortunately, since the NFP agreement of July 2024, where this term was used, our line of clarity has been blurred on successive occasions. The tragedy of the death of Aboubacar Cisse has been used to impose the term "Islamophobia" in the public space, within an emotional and confusing logic. The only argument used is that of the obviousness of the word in public debate. We are convinced, on the contrary, that our role is to explain this misuse and its instrumentalization. That is why the attachment of the choice of the word is not symbolic, and that speaking of anti-Muslim racism, of anti-Muslim hatred, or Muslimphobia seems to us more appropriate to guarantee the effectiveness of the anti-racist fight that we are waging.
Today, however, it is a National Secretariat of our party that carries this name and thus, validates it. We denounce this evolution that, far from uniting the forces of the left on Republican bases, validates the themes of an identity and communitarian left, which distorts anti-racism and weakens secularization.
We consistently affirm:
We fight all forms of racism, and particularly, hate and discrimination targeting our compatriots of the Muslim religion, real or imagined. At a time when anti-Muslim acts are exploding (+75% since the beginning of the year), we reaffirm the full solidarity of the national community and our desire for resolute action to prevent and severely punish these acts. Finally, we also hope for a genuine public policy against racial discrimination, in access to employment, in housing, to public and private services (there is too little condemnation for discrimination), training, and prevention.
We do not accept that criticism of a religion be equated with racism, nor that fundamental principles like secularism, freedom of expression, and the right to blaspheme be characterized or presented as "Islamophobic". It is in the name of this accusation that the cartoonists of Charlie Hebdo were massacred, including Charb, whose "Letter to the Islamophobia scammers who play the racists' game". should be read again more than ever. It was in the name of this accusation of Islamophobia that Samuel Paty was thrown to the wolves. It is with this word that the laws of the Republic, like those of 1905 and 2004, are vilified.
Throughout the Congress, we maintained a clear and dignified line, faithful to Republican universalism, without ever surrendering to the stigmatizing hijacking by the extreme right against Muslims, or the communitarian deviations of a certain left.
We remain convinced that the Socialist Party will not rebuild itself on ambiguities. We still believe that clarity is not a luxury but a necessity to rally the left.
This is why we hope that a debate will take place at the next National Bureau of the Socialist Party. To feed the necessary debate within society.
List of signatories:
Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol
Carole Delga
Jérôme Guedj
Laurence Rossignol
Jean-Marc Germain
Claire Fita
Michaël Delafosse
Valérie Rabault
Sandrine Floureusses
Patrick Mennucci
Cécile Fadat
David Assouline
Christian Assaf
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