Republic of Islamophobia
The Rise of Respectable Racism in France
James Wolfreys
Reviews and Awards
"A powerful tale of France's Islamophobic spiral. Rich in detail and with a keen ear for the ironies of moral panics around veiling, violence, and values, Wolfreys shows France's importance in this globally emerging phenomenon. A compelling argument for the links between political Islamophobia, neoliberalism, and the failures of the left."--Arun Kundnani, author of The Muslims Are Coming!
"A sharp-eyed, merciless and up-to-the-minute analysis of France's current travails, which are also Britain's."-- Robert Gildea, Professor of Modern History, University of Oxford, and author of Fighters in the Shadows: A New History of the French Resistance
"Wolfreys' writing is that of a political insider, underpinned by academic rigor. This book is a wake-up call, warning of the creep of Islamophobia into mainstream French political discourse and its dire consequences if left unchecked. It is vital reading for policymakers and commentators alike."-- Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, author of The Enemy Within: A Tale of Muslim Britain
"An authoritative and lucid account of France's descent into societal disaster. This excruciating and at times shocking catalogue of political mis-steps strongly suggests a far more dangerous 'enemy within' than the Muslim one we constantly hear about. Could the French experience be repeated here in the UK? Wolfreys' book is a warning to us all."-- James Fergusson, author of Al-Britannia, My Country: A Journey Through Muslim Britain
"Wolfreys brilliantly unpacks the political, cultural and economic mechanisms that have rendered French Muslims the ideal scapegoats of an entire nation . . . candid and incisive . . . the present book is by far the most comprehensive work on Islamophobia in contemporary France."-- LSE Review of Books
"Effectively analyses the nature and rise of the vindictive Islamophobia that has come to grip French politics and society . . . persuasive." -- Counterfire
