COMMUNICATIONS

Conducting research in Kyoto last summer, I began to reflect on something. Conflicts between nations and within nations never seem to cease, and the world is all too familiar with what is happening in Gaza and Ukraine. Against this backdrop, I wanted to consider what might be done to alleviate the prejudice and discrimination that Muslims and migrants from North Africa experience in different places, with reference to the three countries with which I am most familiar: Japan, France, and Singapore. It occurred to me that we may get some clues from Islam as practiced in Japan and Southeast Asia. 

This problem is particularly serious in France, where I reside, and troubles me deeply. French citizens of Algerian descent and people from North Africa who come from former French colonies, as well as “Muslims” in a broad sense, have become the targets of attack by certain groups. Racial discrimination is banned by the law, but discrimination and racism persist in altered forms.

The history of Algeria is particularly complex. Algeria was formerly considered part of France, but following its victory in the war of independence (1954 -1962), relations between the two countries became ever more strained. After independence, the French settlers who lived in Algeria, the pied noir, reluctantly returned to France, while many Algerians, facing economic insecurity, migrated to France and settled there. Some pied noir blame their subsequent hardships on Algerian migrants, although the latter contributed hugely to France’s postwar reconstruction. Perhaps the situation is somewhat comparable to the experiences of Koreans resident in Japan.

In addition to this historical background, “Islam” has been increasingly used for political purposes. In France, there is a strong tendency on the right and far right to equate Islamic extremists with Islam in France as a whole. Underlying this is a sense of crisis that “Christianity and Islam are incompatible, and France will eventually be taken over by Muslims.” Hostility toward women who wear the hijab has grown, and there have even been moves to impose age restrictions on participation in the Ramadan fast.

Conversely, there are people of African descent who despair at the discrimination and impossibility of them being accepted as French. They turn to religion—Islam—as a cultural anchor and source of identity. In many cases, the second generation has not inherited their parents’ language, so they cannot ground their identity there. As a result, they practice stricter variants of Islam. Often, as they lean towards religion, it becomes more difficult to adapt to society, which leads to a vicious cycle whereby they turn to religion because they are unable to adapt.

This divide is created and intensified by the spread of misinformation on social media, and the broadcasting of fake news by certain TV channels. In Japan, too, given labor shortages and the increase in tourists, how to live with immigrants has become a real issue. There are already political parties which proclaim Japan first, and agitate for the expulsion of foreigners. However, when it comes to accepting Muslims, although there have been some tensions over the construction of Muslim cemeteries, there have not been major problems regarding the hijab or halal food. Perhaps, the fact that many Muslims in Japan hail from Malaysia and Indonesia helps explain the relatively tolerant atmosphere. Or perhaps it is the case that numbers are still small, and Muslims are not seen as a threat.

I am not a specialist in Islam, but I do know that there are many varieties of Islam just as there are many different Catholics. My fear is that perspectives that do not allow for divergence within cultures, such as Samuel Huntington’s Clash of Civilizations model, reinforce rigid frameworks of opposition. In truth, a multiplicity of peoples exist within any given cultural sphere. What matters is that these different groups engage in dialogue, come together, and interact with one another. Mutual understanding is surely the key: I am thinking, for example, of Muslims enjoying Christmas, and Christians participating in Ramadan...this sort of “mutual understanding” is key, isn't it? That said, some are already putting it into practice, and it's encouraging that many in their 20s and 30s naturally respect diversity and condemn discriminatory behavior, more so than earlier generations.

Finally, although human beings tend to create hierarchies when they form groups, I believe that people of every religion, nationality, and ethnicity—let alone race—are of inherently equal value, and that it is possible and necessary for us to treat one another with mutual respect. That is the essence of co-creation.

Photo 1
Lille City Opera (right), and the Chamber of Commerce with its neo-Flemish style bell tower (left); at the center is the Christmas caterpillar ride (photo by the author)

Photo 2
The ferris wheel, synonymous with Christmas in Lille. On the left is the 17th century Corn Exchange. Today the center garden is lined with book shops (photo by the author)

Photo 3
“Shangri-la Tulips” by Kusama Yayoi (2003-2004) symbolizes Lille as a crossroads of Europe. The Japanese artist sought to evoke Oriental exoticism through Shangri-La, creating a work that embodies diversity. It is between the Lille Europe Station, from which Eurostar trains depart for London, and the Euralille shopping center. (photo by the author)