Paris is known for the charm and the elegance of its monuments and for the dress-sense and the sophistication of its people. Fiercely proud of their city and their French identity, Parisians boast of the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, as well as good food and an appreciation of the finer things of life. In the midst of all this Parisian chic there lies a mosque, itself both charming and delightful, which Muslims, too, can boast about – a forgotten oasis of calm in a busy city. The Grand Mosque of Paris, the oldest in France, was opened by the French president in 1926. It had been built with governmental money by way of thanks to the many Muslims in France's North African colonies who had fought by its side and given their lives for France during the First World War. Built in a North African style, the mosque is both beautiful and evocative of a mysterious oriental world. It was built by Arab workers and is inspired by designs from the Alhambra in southern Spain. The beautifully kept gardens and the peaceful courtyards are set against whitewashed walls and dark eucalyptus and cedar wood, as well as beautiful ceramics and mosaics. The mosque's central minaret rises to 33 metres and the prayer hall, while not too large, adds to the feel of spaciousness and tranquility. During the Second World War, Muslims at the Grand Mosque of Paris managed to prevent the capture of many Jews by the Nazi authorities, showing that Islam is a religion of mercy and compassion and that Muslims respect those of other religions and help those who are in need. Throughout the centuries, France has managed to play a very cunning political game. In recent years, its leaders successfully managed to distance themselves from US and British foreign policy in their invasion of Iraq, portraying themselves as friends of the Arab world. Opposing the US-led invasion at the UN Security Council, for example, drew much support for France on the streets of the Middle East. Declaring support for Lebanon during the Israeli aggression against Hizbollah made France seem the ally of Muslims. How things have changed in only a few years! President Chirac was greeted with tumultuous applause from vast crowds when he visited Algeria, when only 50 years ago more than a million Algerians died at the hands of French soldiers in the war for independence. In banning the Muslim headscarf in schools, the French government managed to get away with mild disapproval from the world Muslim community, while the ban remains in effect and French politicians still travel to the Middle East and are greeted as friends. The story at home, for France's Muslims, has not been so spectacular. Most of them are immigrants or the children of immigrants from North Africa and Senegal. Many are trapped in lives of poverty, with poor education and housing, unable to find a way of becoming involved in the decision-making process. These conditions broke out into serious rioting during October and November of 2005, showing an underlying problem at the heart of French society in assimilating both foreign immigrants and the many Muslims born in France who nonetheless feel alienated from their society and look elsewhere for their culture and identity. For many young Muslims, the political process seemed to have left them behind; the only way they felt able to vent their frustration with the system was to take to the streets. These riots were neither orchestrated nor controlled but were a spontaneous outburst of anger at the way things are. The president of the republic might be able to wave to cheering crowds in Algeria, but he would be slow even to enter some of the worst slums, predominantly Muslim, in Europe. The crisis left the government shattered and has left it with the typical European conundrum of what to do with all of France's Muslim population. As in other countries in Europe, the threat of international terrorism has fueled anger in France against Islam and Muslims. Looking for a target to fight back against in the “War on Terror”, politicians and others have pointed fingers at Islam. In 2004, the government began to expel foreign imams who were thought to be preaching hate and extremism. It approved the formation of the Union of Islamic Organisations of France, hoping thereby to tame the leaders of France's Muslim community by keeping them close and rewarding their cooperation. However, the more their leaders talked with the government, the more they seemed to become remote from the concerns of ordinary Muslims. During the riots they were unable to persuade anyone, on either side, to do anything. Many young Muslims have become especially frustrated at what they perceive to be a bias against Islam and the way people are allowed to offend both their Prophet (peace be upon him) and their way of life. The hijab issue seemed like the end for any sort of dialogue with the secular French Republic. For Muslims, though, there is never an end to dialogue. No matter what governments or people may say about their religion, and no matter what obstacles they may put in the way of Islam, Muslims believe that theirs is the natural religion of mankind and that within it lie the answers to all the problems in French society. The Grand Mosque of Paris is not only a place of prayer, but it is a symbol of the power and the importance of God in the midst of the secular city. It is not just a beautiful building but an image of the beauty of Islam itself. Muslims praying there faithfully, day in and day out, have a message for the rest of France: that no matter how secular the republic may wish to be, a society can only ignore the importance of the spiritual at its peril. Along with Britain and Germany, France has high levels of suicide, alcoholism, and violent crime. Race hate crime has risen in recent years, along with crimes against women and children. Unemployment raises the spectre of hatred towards those who come from abroad to live in any society, since they are often blamed for taking away jobs. The pretense, which survived until recently, that France and its people were on the best of terms with Islam and Muslims was shattered during those riots in 2005. We can all pretend everything is well, but the riots showed that pretending is not the answer to a nation's problems. Problems need to be addressed. There is need for an oasis of peace and prayer in any society. Muslims, like anyone else, feel tempted from time to time to despair that there is no solution to their problems. Many French Muslims may even feel that much at present is lost and that the whole of society seems to be against them. This, however, is not what Islam tells them. Islam tells them that Almighty Allah is in charge of all events and that He is victorious in all things. The mosque of Paris may be beautiful, a hidden oasis in a city full of other beautiful things. The real Oasis, though, to which the people of Paris and the whole of France need to turn to is the oasis provided by Allah, Who calls mankind to turn away from the false promises of this world and to turn instead to Him, the source and the fount of all happiness. French Muslims must never forget the lost oasis in their midst: the oasis of Islam.
British Muslim writer, Idris Tawfiq, is a lecturer at Al-Azhar University. The author of eight books about Islam, he divides his time between Egypt and the UK as a speaker, writer and broadcaster. You can visit his website at www.idristawfiq.com.
