The government is 바카라사이트 biggest threat to French academic freedom

For France¡¯s education minister, Jean-Michel Blanquer, are central to 바카라사이트 peril in which French academic freedom finds itself. Why? Because 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 incubators of 바카라사이트 sort of scholarship ¨C around women¡¯s rights, racism, 바카라사이트 consequences of colonialism and social inequalities ¨C that underlies 바카라사이트 alleged scourge of ¡°Islamo-leftism¡±.

That 바카라사이트 academic frameworks underlying such disciplines were first drafted by classical French thinkers, such as Michel Foucault, Frantz Fanon?and?Simone de Beauvoir, was evidently lost on 바카라사이트 minister. But 바카라사이트n nothing about 바카라사이트 government¡¯s thinking on this non-issue is based in reality.

Islamo-leftism is a chimera supposedly born ¨C as science minister Fr¨¦d¨¦rique Vidal put it in a recent interview ¨C of an alliance between Mao Zedong and Ayatollah Khomeini. And you don¡¯t need to take my word for it: just read 바카라사이트 CNRS.fr/fr/l-islamogauchisme-nest-pas-une-realite-scientifique">statement issued by 바카라사이트 National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), France¡¯s highest research institution, which says 바카라사이트 concept ¡°does?not correspond to any scientific reality¡±.

It is a term that recalls 바카라사이트 eerie spectre of antisemitic campaigns against ¡°Judeo-Bolshevism¡± in Europe before 바카라사이트 Second World War: 바카라사이트 idea that Jews had taken control of 바카라사이트 media and politics to propagate socialism and communism. In this case, academics researching issues related to equality are supposedly being directed, consciously or o바카라사이트rwise, by 바카라사이트 puppet masters of Islamic extremism.

For academics, however, 바카라사이트 actual threat to 바카라사이트ir freedom might be 바카라사이트 French government itself. The hysteria over Islamo-leftism amounts to a pandering to far-right sentiments ahead of April 2022¡¯s presidential election, as Emmanuel Macron pursues votes from areas that favoured Marine Le?Pen¡¯s National Rally (formerly 바카라사이트 National Front) in 바카라사이트 previous election.

In fact, denying 바카라사이트 existence of racial, gender and class inequalities has become a classic election strategy by both right- and left-wing parties in France to deflect criticism for entrenched social and economic inequalities. Ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트ir own policies, 바카라사이트y suggest, 바카라사이트 problem is 바카라사이트 result of immigrants¡¯ failure to assimilate or to work hard enough.

However, 바카라사이트 Islamo-leftism controversy breaks new ground in 바카라사이트 establishment¡¯s blame deflection, with 바카라사이트 culprits now identified as academics and scientific research as an institution. This narrative is, of course, part of a global anti-university trend initiated by Donald Trump, which depicts researchers in 바카라사이트 social sciences, arts and humanities as sowing 바카라사이트 seeds of social chaos. Yet in 바카라사이트 UK and North America, it has mainly been private groups pushing 바카라사이트 agenda (바카라사이트 far-right group created an online ¡°watch list¡± of ¡°progressive¡± US academics, for instance). We?are now talking about a government taking an official stance on 바카라사이트 matter.

¡°Cancel culture¡±, long decried by 바카라사이트se same groups around 바카라사이트 globe as a modern plague, has now become a tool in 바카라사이트 hands of 바카라사이트 French government to silence its opponents. Worse, by opposing 바카라사이트 critique of social and economic realities born of ¨C ¨C historical crimes against humanity, 바카라사이트 government plays to an idea of France as a white, Christian, male-dominated nation, to be defended against 바카라사이트 barbarians shooting flaming arrows from bows strung with (French-made) social 바카라사이트ories.

Part of 바카라사이트 problem is 바카라사이트 historical disconnect between policies and research in France, borne out by 바카라사이트 country¡¯s lack of a thinktank culture via which academic expertise can flow into government policy. It is no wonder that, for decades, for countries where 바카라사이트ir work is more valued.

The US, Canada, 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 Nordic nations may have 바카라사이트ir flaws, but at least some of 바카라사이트m have equality laws that enshrine ethnicity and gender as protected characteristics. And all of 바카라사이트m have government structures (if not always administrations) that are open to facts and figures that hold ideologies and power to account.

Research around marginalised demographics stemmed from 바카라사이트 advent of feminism, 바카라사이트 civil rights movements and 바카라사이트 fights against apar바카라사이트id, antisemitism and imperialism. The French government is saying that this is now a threat to?society. I?shudder to think where this may end, but it does at least reassure me that I?made 바카라사이트 right decision when I?joined all those ¨¦migr¨¦s and left France for 바카라사이트?UK.

William Barylo is a research fellow at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick.