Counter-jihad in France

The counter-jihad movement in France consists of various organisations and individuals such as Riposte Laïque and Résistance Républicaine, led by Pierre Cassen and Christine Tasin respectively,[1] Observatoire de l'Islamisation,[2] and other groups such as those founded by Alain Wagner.[3][4] The movement has cooperated with the Bloc Identitaire, Daniel Pipes and the Middle East Forum,[1] Stop Islamisation of Europe,[5] and has organised events such as the "Apéro Géant: saucisson et pinard", a happy hour gathering of wine and deli meat cold cuts whose ingredients include pork.[6]

Riposte Laïque

Riposte Laïque ("Secular Retaliation")[7] was founded by Pierre Cassen (born 1953) in 2007.[8] Cassen describes himself as an old Trotskyist, and his aim was to create a new web-based journal as a forum for the defence of secularism, particularly against the threat from Islam.[8] Although Cassen still identifies as a leftist and says the journal has a staff from a variety of political backgrounds, it is often portrayed as far-right.[8] On February 14, 2023, the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) released a report in which it classified Riposte Laïque as a "anti-muslim" and "conspiracy" group.[9] It is very active publishing articles, videos on YouTube, and has a strong presence on social media.[8] The group has faced an "overwhelming" number of lawsuits.[10]

Résistance Républicaine

The Résistance Républicaine was founded in 2010 by Christine Tasin (born 24 January 1955).[11] Tasin is an atheist and comes from a politically leftist background.[11] She had previously collaborated with Riposte Laïque, and is in a relationship with its founder Pierre Cassen.[11] In contrast to Riposte Laïque, the group functions more as a grassroots movement, although it also has an online presence.[8] Tasin has been sentenced for inciting hatred against Muslims, and when she appealed her verdict, which she won, her legal costs were covered by the American Middle East Forum.[1]

Observatoire de l'Islamisation

The Observatoire de l'Islamisation and the Observatoire du halal are counter-jihad websites[2] founded by Joachim Véliocas (born 1981) in 2007.[12] He is an independent researcher who in 2006 published the first comprehensive study on the "Islamisation of France" in L'islamisation de la France, which analyzed Muslim associations and all the Islamist tendencies developing in France.[12] In 2010 he published his second essay, Ces Maires qui courtisent l'islamisme, which deals with the relations between politicians and Islamist associations, in particular the public funding that the latter obtain through electoral clientelism.[12] He has later published three more books, respectively about radical mosques, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the church in the face of Islam.[12]

Alain Wagner

Jean-Michel Clément, better known as Alain Wagner, is a French counter-jihad activist who has been linked to several counter-jihad groups, including as the founder of L’Alliance FFL ("Alliance to Stop Sharia") and Vérité, Valeurs et Démocratie ("Truth, Values and Democracy") and as leader of Union de Défense des Citoyens et Contribuables.[4]

Wagner became leader of the International Civil Liberties Alliance in 2012, making him "one of the most important figures in the European counter-jihadist scene".[4] Before that, he was involved with the European Freedom Initiative group.[4] He has attended several meetings and conferences of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).[4] He has also participated in rallies in support of Tommy Robinson,[4] and international counter-jihad conferences.[13] He has cooperated with both Riposte Laïque and Résistance Républicaine.[4]

References
  1. Aked, H.; Jones, M.; Miller, D. (2019). "Islamophobia in Europe: How governments are enabling the far-right 'counter-jihad' movement" (PDF). Public Interest Investigations: 41-42.
  2. Rogers, Richard (2013). Right-Wing Formations In Europe And Their Countermeasures: An Online Mapping (PDF). Govcom.org Foundation. p. 60.
  3. Othen, Christopher (2018). Soldiers of a Different God: How the Counter-Jihad Movement Created Mayhem, Murder and the Trump Presidency. Amberley. p. 267. ISBN 9781445678009.
  4. "Key players: Jean–Michel Clément (aka Alain Wagner)". Hope not Hate. 17 January 2017.
  5. "International counter-jihad organisations". Hope not Hate. 11 January 2018.
  6. Bancel, Nicolas; Blanchard, Pascal; Thomas, Dominic (2017). The Colonial Legacy in France: Fracture, Rupture, and Apartheid. Indiana University. p. 292. ISBN 9780253026514.
  7. Per-Erik Nilsson (2 January 2015). "'Secular Retaliation': A Case Study of Integralist Populism, Anti-Muslim Discourse, and (Il)liberal Discourse on Secularism in Contemporary France". Politics. 16 (1): 87–106. doi:10.1080/21567689.2015.1012160. ISSN 2156-7689. Wikidata Q56003573.
  8. Nilsson, Per-Erik (2018). French Populism and Discourses on Secularism. Bloomsbury. pp. 5–7. ISBN 9781350055834.
  9. "GPAHE report: Far-Right Hate and Extremist Groups in Australia". Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  10. Spektorowski, Alberto; Elfersy, Daphna (2020). From Multiculturalism to Democratic Discrimination: The Challenge of Islam and the Re-emergence of Europe's Nationalism. University of Michigan. p. 290. ISBN 9780472132164.
  11. "Portrait: Bouffeuse d'islam". Liberation (in French). 2 March 2011.
  12. "Joachim Véliocas". babelio (in French). Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  13. Lazaridis, Gabriella; Campani, Giovanna (2016). Understanding the Populist Shift: Othering in a Europe in Crisis. Routledge. ISBN 9781317326052.
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