Maghrebi Community in Diaspora : France as a case in point

UNIVERSITE DE SAVOIE________________________________________________________

IAE MONT-BLANC

Hypermedia and Communication Department M.A. 2: Image, Interactivity, International

Maghrebi Community in Diaspora: France as a case in Point

Academic Year: 2011/2012

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Abstract:

In this paper, I will focus on the image of Maghrebi Immigrants in France through

analysing some films directed, in particular, by Maghrebi directors living in France. They

play the role of mediators between two cultures – the home culture and the host country

culture. I will focus on Abellatif Kechiche’s THE SACRED SECRET OF COUSCOUS (in

French: La Graine et le Mulet), Roschdy Zem’s OMAR KILLED ME (in French: Omar m’a

Tuer), Rachid Bouchareb’s DAYS OF GLORY (French: INDEGÉNES). In these three

movies, I will question different stereotypes about Maghrebi immigrants in France. How

are they regarded? Why are immigrants always identified with their differences?

Introduction: The History of migration is immemorial. People mobility in the world has been the key

element for a series of cultural exchanges throughout history. Each culture has travelled

to other nations via immigrants, commerce agents and workers. Therefore, immigrants

took part in creating contact between cultures and nations. In this paper, my focus is on

Maghrebi immigrants, from the beginning of the 20th century in France to their

generated generation in the 21th century, to examine and evaluate this line of cultural

exchanges, whether it is still going on or it has changed to something else. Nowadays,

French authorities are claiming that immigrants are creating social problems in France.

«The issue of immigration and integration raising the temperature of political debates in

Europe... Secularism with religious diversity.»1 To study this phenomenon, I will focus on

Maghrebi community in France as a case in point, and proceed in two main lines. First, I

will speak about the first waves of Maghrebi immigrants to France. Community manager

needs to understand the reasons which were behind the emergence of this community in

France to deal with it properly. Secondly, I will deal with Maghrebi immigrants’ kids and

the question of identity and integration. In other words, the Maghrebi community

interaction within itself and also with the outside environment «inside/outside dialogue».

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1 Muslims of France: Colonials Documentary released by Aljazeera World Channel in 2011.

The First Maghrebi Immigrants to France

« A century ago, they were called colonies. In the sixties, they were known as

immigrants. Today, they are citizens». Muslims of France: Colonials documentary begins

by this sentence. It actually summarizes the whole history of Maghrebi immigrants in

France. We have three main parts in the history of Maghrebi immigrants in France; the

colonial era, immigrant first waves to France in the sixties and today immigrants’ kids

who are considered to be French citizens.

«Immigration is never about luck. You do not emigrate by chance. I even could say it

is never a choice, it is your fate. You never choose exile, it is your fate”, as Mohamed

Zennafi says.2 In the same line of thought, Abdul Allah Samate adds: «Today our kids

are here. We have to make clear why we are here. Why did we come? How did we

come? In which conditions we worked? Though there are approaches claiming that we

came here to work, etc. But it is not my fault, it is the economy and misery fault».3

Hence, immigrants lived and worked in hard conditions. It was not a choice to emigrate,

but it was part of their destiny.

Rachid Bouchareb’s DAYS OF GLORY (In French: INDEGÉNES) mentions the fact that

France needed immigrants to use them as soldiers to fight Germany. The movie shows

how Maghrebi citizens were encouraged to help France. All males in the French colonies

were asked to go and liberate France, even handicapped men took part in that, simply

because of their love of France. They were taken to military camps to be trained, and

then they went to the battle field to fight against Germany. Maghrebi citizens took part

in it and were at the front.

To start with the colonial era, France colonized many Maghrebi countries in the first

two decades of the twentieth century, including Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. France

heavily exploited citizens of these nations. It used them in the front lines in its war

against Germany in the First World War. «France recruited massively from the colonies.

In the end, thousands from North Africa and South Africa were settled in the battle

field».4 France was inspired by the Americans in recruiting from its colonies. «The

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2 Ibid,

3 Mémpores d’Immigrés, L’Héritage Maghrébin Documentary by Yamina Benguigui

4 Muslims of France: Colonials Documentary released by Aljazeera World Channel in 2011.

Americans use the Hispanic and the Blacks. The French use Arabs and the Blacks. In

other words, they used the children of their colonies. It’s quite logical»5. And at the end,

«The price paid by the soldiers from Africa was heavy: 80,000 died. At least many were

wounded».6

In addition to this, French authorities worked to keep Maghrebi soldiers away from the

French society, because they feared immigrants get inspired by the French liberty and

then think to take it with them home. Abdul Allah Samate an immigrant in France says «

We arrived to the North in 1963. We were housed in military bases, which were

constructed during the war by the German to keep prisoners. We lived two persons in

one room, like in an army base. We worked and we were not allowed to go out and book

a plane ticket home, but the French authorities bring us Buses and take us to register

our departure and then take us to the Airport. No contact, no contact, to integrate and

develop and they want us to stay always close on ourselves. There was no life, only

work. They even chose people in urban place who do not seek to live, but only work».7

On the one hand, French authorities did not imagine these soldiers would stay in

France and thus would have their families. Maghrebi Soldiers surprised them and

disappointed all their plans. They thought they will work, make money and go home at

the end. But immigrants had another opinion. On the other hand, immigrants were

surprised by the real image of the French people. «I thought French are like the ones I

knew in Tunisia; hanging out and playing sport together, but when I arrived in Marseille,

no one cared about me.(started crying) I used to salute people in my country, though

we do not know them. I did not find the social warm in this country». 8

In the sixties, Maghrebi immigrants were brought to work in companies, because

France needed workers. So, they needed immigrants. Here, French authorities could not

limit Maghrebi immigrants from making contact with the French society and mixed

marriages were more than frequent. Immigrants were regarded as rebellious and

courageous. They also worked to strengthen their relations with each other. «The first

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5 Ibid,

6 Ibid,


8 Ibid,

Algerian emigrants to France in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries sought

to reconstruct village social relations in France and reinscribe a cultural continuity no

longer possible in a Kabylia subject to colonial land expropriations».9

Hence, French women accepted Maghrebi males and had a lot of dates and marriages.

Here, the French authorities interfered and allowed Maghrebi immigrants to bring their

wives to France. They thought that immigrants would stop dating French women, when

they bring the wives. But they unfortunately forgot more dangerous problem and made

it worse. That is to say, immigrants generated new generations of immigrants in France

who are considered to be French citizens with foreign cultures.

Maghrebi immigrants’ history is not limited only to illegal migrations arriving in the

European coastal on boats, but it is a long history starting back in the colonial era.

Therefore, Maghrebi community France are not necessarily undocumented immigrants

who came to France via boats or illegal ways and they were regulated for humanitarian

reasons, basically.

Maghrebi Immigrants’ kids: What Identity for what Integration ?

Maghrebi immigrants settled down in France and had their own families. Maghrebi

generated generation are French citizens. They have equal duties and rights like all other

French citizens, yet they are considered to be the source of social problems in France,

particularly in the suburbs of Paris. French authorities implemented many strategies to

make them good French citizens, but they are always attached home. They create home

space in France and therefore threaten the consistency of the French society. That is to

say, the French authorities try to control this community, but community managers do

not advice to control any community, but one needs to create a rhythm for it. In this

regard, Laila Lalami mentions in her essay «The New Inquisition», a brief conversation

with a French writer saying: "If they were all like you, there wouldn't be a problem».

Laila comments on it and says «His tone suggested he was paying me some sort of

compliment, though I found it odd that he would want the 1 million Moroccans in his

country to be carbon copies of someone he had barely met and whose views on

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immigration--had he asked about them--he might not have found quite to his liking».10

That is to say, this writer refers to Muslim girls with veil. Laila Lalami does not wear one

and he wants them to look like her. Lalami adds:«Was this man really suggesting that I

was a more desirable immigrant because I did not look Muslim? We had started our

conversation as two equals, two potential friends, two writers discussing literature, but

we had ended it as judge and supplicant--the former telling the latter whether or not she

would make a suitable immigrant.»

Maghrebi immigrants became the source of social problems and they are doubted

whenever there are crimes. For instance, in Roschdy Zem’s Omar Killed Me, we touch

almost the same story. Omar joined his family coming from Morocco to France since he

was accused of killing Ms. Marchal. He was not educated and therefore he did not speak

French. Ms. Marchal is a very rich known woman in France. Omar used to work for her;

he took care of her garden. Suddenly, Ms. Marchall was found killed in her house and it

was written on the door «Omar killed me» French «Omar ma tu’er». Therefore the police

caught Omar. During the investigation, he did not understand what the police were

asking him and he kept saying yes, though he did not understand them. Omar was much

stressed. He insisted that he is not the killer in the court. But he was sentenced to

eighteen years of prison. In fact, Omar story is real. Omar Radad, nowadays, still asking

authorities to reopen his file and clear him out of these fake charges. He was released

because the king of Morocco asked the president of France to release him and he did in

1997. Though, Omar still asks the French authorities to clear him out of all the charges

that were directed to him. He believes that he is innocent and must be cleared out.

Omar says: «Ms. Marshall is my second mother. How can I kill my mom».

Omar is a good example of an immigrant who could not integrate. He did not go to

school and he did not have the courage to pick up French though he spent seven years

in France. On the other hand, we have totally integrated immigrants and who are almost

a copy of the French citizens. For instance, «Le Monde released video footage from an

encounter between Brice Hortefeux, the interior minister of France, and Amine Benalia-

Brouch, a young Algerian-French activist. Hortefeux and Benalia-Brouch, who were both

attending the summer congress of the center-right party Union pour un Mouvement

Populaire, were asked to pose for a photograph. A female onlooker touched Benalia-

Brouch on the cheek and, in a voice ringing with approbation, said, "[Benalia-Brouch] is

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10 Laila Lalami. The New Inquisition. The Nation Magazine 2009.

Catholic. He eats pork and drinks beer." "That is true," replied Benalia-Brouch, smiling.

"He is our little Arab," the woman continued. Hortefeux added, "Very well. We always

need one. When there's one, that's all right. It's when there are a lot of them that there

are problems.»11

There are other immigrants who studied hard and got high positions in the host

countries. They pay taxes and therefore have their equal rights. For instance, «Sonya

participated in the 1983 March with the Villetaneuse branch of SOS-Racisme, although

she herself had never personally experienced any instances of racism. Rather, she

marched in order to express herself as “an individual who pays her taxes and holds

within her Maghrebi culture». 12 They do not care about their origins. They pay taxes for

the government and therefore expect their rights to be respected and protected.

The French authorities seek that immigrants cut their relations with home, particularly

the cultural one. The reason the French authorities want them to cut their relation is the

inconsistency of the French society. They wanted a multicultural society without a

culture. Here, J. M. Coetzee, Slow Man (2005) raises two ironical questions: Don’t

immigrants have a history of their own? Do you cease to have a history when you move

from one point of the globe to another? In the same line of thought, people think

immigrants are naked when they arrive in a new land at the end of their odyssey, yet

immigrants arrive layered with personal stories, and burdened with what passes for

collective memory. Abdourahman A. Waberi, Transit (2003)

So it would seem that the perfect Muslim immigrant in France is the one who cleans

the house, picks up the trash, attends to the infant or, increasingly, fixes the computer,

heals the sick and runs the bank, and then disappears in a wisp of smoke, before his

presence, his beliefs, his customs, his way of dress, his "noise and smell" offend the

particular sensibilities of the general population. France is not alone in wishing that its

Muslims were invisible. As anyone who has visited Western Europe in the past few years

will tell you, the "Muslim question" is a matter of grave concern.

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11 laila Lalami. The New Inquisition. The Nation Magazine 2009

12 Paul A. Silverstein. Algeria in France. Transpolity. Race and Nation. Indiana University Press,

2004. P 153

Conclusion:

Maghrebi in Diaspora are surrounded by a great number of stereotypes, but the new

generation is correcting these misconceptions, in the sense they are getting high

positions in different sectors and therefore own people’s respect. We have also an

emerging inside/outside dialogue between different communities in France. But the

French authorities sometimes interferes to control such communities and therefore make

such problems. Integration is possible when French authorities understand that they do

not need copies of themselves on the part of immigrants. Diversity is not a political

discourse, but a reality and it must be accepted and respected.

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Bibliography

Primary Sources:1. Abellatif Kechiche’s THE SACRED SECRET OF COUSCOUS (French--La Graine et le

Mulet),

2. Roschdy Zem’s OMAR KILLED ME (French--Omar m’a Tuer),

3. Rachid Bouchareb’s DAYS OF GLORY (French---INDEGÉNES).

Secondary Sources:4. Muslims of France: Colonials Documentary released by Aljazeera World Channel

in 2011

5. Mémpores d’Immigrés, L’Héritage Maghrébin Documentary by Yamina

Benguigui

6. Coetzee. Slow Man. (2005)

7. A Waberi. Transit (2003)

8. Paul A. Silverstein. Algeria in France. Transpolity. Race and Nation. Indiana

University Press, 2004

9. Roger Pen and Paul Lambert. Children of International Migrants in Europe.

Palgrave Mcmillan 2009.

10. Rabah Aissaoui. Immigration and National Identity. North African Political

Movements in Colonial and Postcolonial France. Tauris Academic Studies. New

York 2009.

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Maghrebi Community in Diaspora : France as a case in point

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