HOME | north-of-africa.com

  In French

<< was perceived as a violation of a mosque by police, which caused consternation throughout France’s Muslim communities. A student of Algerian heritage in -Strasbourg stated >>

21. Community members stated that the commonly felt sense of exclusion and alienation is leading to an unfortunate anti‑integration reaction, in which members of minority groups are retreating from mainstream French society, which they perceive as rejecting them. Manifestations can be seen in the growing radicalization of young Muslim men and an increase in ethnically based gang culture. It was noted that the urban disturbances of 2005 were partly triggered by what was perceived as a violation of a mosque by police, which caused consternation throughout France’s Muslim communities. A student of Algerian heritage in -Strasbourg stated: “People always say to me ‘where do you come from?’ I come from Lyon. I am French. But when people keep asking me I feel less French and more Algerian. I am often told ‘look at you, you are not French’. You end up saying you are from another country and you don’t feel French any more.”

B. Language and cultural rights

<< Immigration trends have brought significant numbers of speakers of various non‑European languages, notably Arabic, to France. >>

22. Representatives and scholars of numerous linguistic and cultural minority groups from different regions in France, including the Bretons and Basques and the Catalan‑ and Occitan‑speaking communities, strongly complained that their languages and cultural rights are not fully respected and promoted within France. They predict that some regional languages and elements of cultural identity and heritage are in danger of disappearing in the medium to long term. Following the amendment of the Constitution of France in 1992 to reflect the position of French as the language of the French Republic, community representatives described government policy to promote French at the expense of regional languages. Immigration trends have brought significant numbers of speakers of various non‑European languages, notably Arabic, to France.

23. Basque community representatives reported that, despite community desire to maintain and preserve the Basque language, there are some 5,000 fewer Basque speakers than 10 years ago and the language is seriously endangered in France as a result of lack of official status. Representatives of the Catalan‑ and Occitan‑speaking communities also pointed out that absence of recognition or official status results in a constant decline in the number of Basque, Catalan and Occitan speakers in both absolute and percentage terms to such an extent that, despite the recommendations of European and United Nations anti‑discrimination bodies, these languages are endangered languages limited to use in the private sphere with implications in both linguistic and cultural terms.

24. Breton representatives reported to the independent expert that subsidies had been stopped to schools for teaching of and in the Breton language. Independent Breton‑language immersion schools (called Diwan) exist but are not part of the State education system since their incorporation was blocked by the French Constitutional Council, reportedly on the grounds that French is the language of the Republic and that no other language may be used as a language of instruction in State schools. Representatives of the Breton‑speaking communities note that the numbers of speakers has declined from 1.3 million in 1900 to 200,000 today.

25. The Government states that “in the education system, regional and minority languages are taught as optional subjects and special competitive examinations are held to recruit first‑ and second‑level teachers of the languages concerned, which include Basque, Breton, Catalan, Corsican and Occitan within metropolitan France and Creole, Tahitian and Melanesian languages overseas”. The Government underscores that “museums and cultural centres focusing on regional cultures have been established and festivals celebrating these heritages are supported by the Ministry of Culture and Communication and local authorities. The Ethnological Heritage Council and Mission established by the Ministry of Culture in 1980 have been tasked with preserving key constituents of the identity of local cultures and helping to coordinate ethnological research policy throughout metropolitan France and its overseas departments, regions and communities”.

26. The independent expert considers such issues to be central to the 1992 Declaration on the Rights of Minorities. Even when linguistic minorities are relatively well integrated in economic, social and political fields, the 1992 Declaration places great emphasis on preservation of linguistic, religious and cultural identity. The State is under a positive obligation to “create favourable conditions” in this regard. Information received suggests that policy and practice in France require review in consultation with the affected communities themselves, with a view to achieving consistency of approach and policy.