Ten years after 'Charlie Hebdo' attack, secular militants extend war of words against French Left
Laicity is a key principle of the modern French Republic but there has long been a debate over how far it should extend; sections of the Left fear that secularism is sometimes misused to discriminate against Muslims, for example. The recent commemoration of the 2015 terror attacks, particularly the massacre at the Paris offices of satirical weekly 'Charlie Hebdo', has highlighted a shift in rhetoric from France's self-proclaimed “secular activists”. These activists no longer just focus their attacks on members of the radical-left La France Insoumise and their founder Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who have been accused of so-called 'Islamo-Leftism'. They now also target other elements of the French Left, including the Socialist Party, whose leadership has been criticised for “betraying social democracy”. Mathieu Dejean reports on the fault lines between militant secularists and the Left.
TheThetenth anniversary of the terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo has reopened old political wounds. The intense debates that marked the aftermath of the massacre on the Left have resurfaced with renewed vigour amidst the unanimous tributes to the victims. On one side are those staunchly loyal to the “spirit of Charlie”, who self-identify as the “secularist movement” and advocate a “militant secularism” they believe is necessary to counter the threat posed by radical Islam.
