MFA CABINET MIDDLE EAST ADVISOR ON DOMESTIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 007899

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/18/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV KISL SOCI PINR XF
SUBJECT: MFA CABINET MIDDLE EAST ADVISOR ON DOMESTIC
INTEGRATION, DISCRIMINATION, AND ISLAM IN FRANCE

REF: PARIS 7835 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: MFA Cabinet advisor on Maghreb/Arabian Gulf
issues Francois Thoizy, during a November 17 discussion on
GoF policy in the Gulf and Maghreb (septel),offered
unusually frank observations on domestic integration and
discrimination issues, referring frequently to his status as
the first Middle East advisor to a French Foreign Minister to
be of Arab (in his case Algerian and non-practicing Muslim)
background. Thoizy assessed recent unrest in the suburbs
(reftel) as the combined result of successful activist
policing and deep alienation among immigrant-origin youth,
who feel like France's "unwanted" children. Thoizy also
suggested that France should seek to become a center for
formulating a reformed Islam, in line with secular Western
values. Thoizy conceded that his own success may have been
due in part to his European appearance and name and readily
described everyday discrimination faced by family members.
Nevertheless, he remained upbeat that France's recent
suburban troubles could jolt France towards becoming a more
inclusive society, in which immigrants are viewed as an
opportunity, not a problem. End summary.


2. (C) Throughout a November 17 discussion with poloff on
regional issues (septel),MFA Cabinet advisor on
Maghreb/Arabian Gulf issues Francois Thoizy referred
frequently to his ethnic background, and the fact that he was
the first foreign ministry cabinet advisor on Middle East
issues of Arab background. (Bio note: Thoizy was born in
France and both his parents emigrated to France from Algeria.
He describes himself as a non-practicing Muslim, and speaks
fluent Arabic. He is a career diplomat, but also made
frequent reference to his close ties, and past work for, FM
Douste-Blazy in the UMP party. End note.) Thoizy claimed he
was noticed right away by President Chirac shortly after he
came on board in the minister's cabinet last summer, when he
traveled with the presidential delegation attending King
Fahd's funeral in Saudi Arabia. He said Chirac was delighted
to meet him and commented how proud he was to see a young man
"of immigrant origin" reaching his position. Thoizy added
that his background and Arabic fluency deepened his relations
with Arab government contacts, who saw him as "one of them"
and not an ordinary French diplomat.


3. (C) In addition to working Middle East issues, Thoizy
said he also advises Douste-Blazy on equality/Islam in France
issues, which he described as a particular area of interest
for the FM. Thoizy took credit for Douste-Blazy's decision
to meet with the Grand Mufti during a September 2005 visit to
Egypt, and said he was trying to promote the idea that France
should seek to become a center of Islamic thought, and
"ijtihad," by which the Qur'an would be reinterpreted to meet
current realities and adapt to secular, Western societies.
He said in his personal view, France should aspire to be seen
as a "Islamo-Judeo-Christian" society, an idea which
reflected the realities of French diversity, though, on the
surface, it seemed anathema to France's secular tradition.


4. (C) Thoizy viewed the recent unrest in French suburbs as
the result of two factors: 1) Interior Minister Sarkozy's
tough law and order policies, which had successfully squeezed
criminal gang elements, to the point that they exploited the
situation and incited youth to riot to "get back" at police;
2) a long simmering expression of outrage from immigrant
youth who feel like they are the "unwanted" (he used the word
"aborted") children of the French Republic. Thoizy was
optimistic, however that the unrest could ultimately bring
good results, in that it could push France to take a
different approach and accept all its citizens, and perhaps
enlarge the ideal of what it means to be French to reflect
France's multicultural diversity. He noted, for instance,
that more French speakers worldwide are Muslim than
Christian, if one includes all of France's former colonies.
Thoizy said that while he was not favorable towards quotas,
he absolutely supported "positive action" to redress
discrimination in France. Thoizy expressed interest in
exchanging views further, particularly on the U.S. experience
in combating discrimination and implementing "affirmative
action" programs beyond mere quotas.


5. (C) Asked whether he had personally experienced
discrimination, he demurred, noting that his European
appearance and French first name (named after his father's
"best friend") made things easier. His brother, on the other
hand, who looked Arab and had an Arabic name and darker skin,
had numerous encounters with racism, and sometimes felt
scrutinized for "being a terrorist." One of his nieces,
meanwhile, was about to change her Arabic-sounding first
name, because she couldn't get any call backs on jobs, even
though she had a U.S. diploma, spoke fluent English and had
good grades. His mother-in-law, who is veiled, told him
recently she didn't want to go out any more in central Paris,
because she faced disapproving looks and insulting remarks
for being veiled. Despite the examples of everyday
discrimination which he cited, Thoizy expressed hope that the
recent crisis would prompt a shift in GoF policies and public
attitudes, to the point at which France views its immigrants
as an opportunity, not a problem.

COMMENT
--------------


6. (C) Thoizy's candor in discussing race/religion issues in
France is unusual for a GoF official, but as he stressed
throughout the discussion, he is not a typical MFA diplomat.
Based on Thoizy's interest in learning more about the U.S.
approach to combating discrimination and his stated interest
in pursuing cooperation on Maghreb issues (septel),we view
him as an excellent candidate for an IVLP or Voluntary
Visitor program to the U.S. End comment.


Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm

Stapleton