State and Religion: The French Response to Jihadist Violence

The five acts of jihadist violence between 2012–2020, particularly the 2015 Paris attacks, combined with an increasingly polarized political discourse in France, have pushed extremism to center government policy and public opinion. Approaches last decade comprised two characteristics: claims amalgamating Islam Muslim religious practice—especially its stricter forms—with extremist violence, along idea that such forms dangerous indoctrination are best battled through education. As a result, there has been renewed debate concerning principle laïcité (secularism) within schools other institutions. One leading efforts this context focused on processes “deradicalization”. These projects include various educational tools, rehabilitation attempts inside outside prisons, cultural artistic initiatives, administrative bans imposed organizations inciting violence. However, most ambitious these also subject greatest criticism. Projects school system accused securitizing education stigmatizing students, whereas measures undertaken prisons currently limited risk assessment inmates linked while lacking more meaningful plans for their rehabilitation. Public–private partnerships developed promising but moderate success is still recent requires further study.