MEMBER OF PROMINENT FRANCO-ALGERIAN FAMILY

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 005000

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/26/2016
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV PINR FR
SUBJECT: MEMBER OF PROMINENT FRANCO-ALGERIAN FAMILY
DISCUSSES FRENCH DISCRIMINATION AGAINST ARABS


Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT,
FOR REASONS 1.4 B/D


1. (C) SUMMARY. Mehdi Zerhouni, a member of a prominent
Franco-Algerian family and a relative of Algerian Interior
Minister Yazid Zerhouni, told us July 22 that discrimination
in France against young men of Arab extraction remains "a big
problem" for the country. While acknowledging that Interior
Minister Nicolas Sarkozy is unpopular among young French
citizens of Arab extraction for what they see as his
heavy-handed approach to crime in minority neighborhoods and
his comments during last fall's riots in some of those
neighborhoods, Zerhouni stated that he is sympathetic to
Sarkozy's presidential campaign because he believes the
Interior Minister will support initiatives similar to
affirmative action in the US to help level the playing field
for French citizens of Arab extraction while following "the
American model" of accepting racial, ethnic, and religious
diversity. END SUMMARY.

"DON'T MAKE US SUBMIT OUR PICTURES WITH OUR RESUMES"


2. (C) During a July 22 meeting with Poloff, Mehdi Zerhouni,
a member of a well-known Franco-Algerian family and a
relative of Algerian Interior Minister Yazid Zerhouni,
declared that discrimination against young men of Arab
extraction is "a big problem" facing France and a
"contradiction" in a country that "stresses human rights."
"Human rights is important in France," Zerhouni began, "but
discrimination, racism against Arabs and Muslims is a big
problem. I don't know what can be done to solve it."


3. (C) Zerhouni stated that young French Arab men seeking
employment face discrimination from employers based on both
their Arabic names and features, and he criticized the
requirement of many French employers that job seekers submit
photographs with their resumes. "If you have a name that
seems French, the employer can still look at your picture" to
determine whether the applicant is the member of an ethnic
minority, Zerhouni explained. "And even if you look
European, they might be able to tell from your family name
whether you are Arab." He referred to his own light skin and
blue eyes, explaining that though his features appear to be
European he is often questioned about his Arab name. "People
say, 'You don't look like you should have a name like that.'"
"Employers don't ask for pictures in the UK, and they
shouldn't do it here," he declared.


4. (C) Discussing measures that the French Government might
take to reduce unemployment in minority neighborhoods,
Zerhouni stated that specific measures to level the playing
field for young French Arabs akin to affirmative action in
the U.S. may be necessary in France. "Our system is more
rigid here. We have aristocrats, bourgeois, things like
that. It's not like in America where, if you do good work,
someone comes to you and says 'good job' and gives you
credit," he explained. While underscoring that this
"rigidity" affects all French young people trying to get
ahead, Zerhouni stated that its effects are more pronounced
for young minorities. He concluded that measures
specifically intended to assist young minorities to enter the
workforce and succeed are required to improve their
employment prospects.

POLICE HARASS YOUNG ARAB MEN WITH REQUESTS FOR PAPERS


5. (C) Zerhouni also blasted the tactics used by the French
police in their interaction with young Arab men, stating that
police officers sometimes single out young Arabs walking on
the street and ask them for their identification papers. He
said that police officers use the requests for papers as a
means of harassing young men they would like to keep out of
certain neighborhoods. "There is no reason to do this. You
can't do this in other countries, but in France the police
are allowed to ask for papers. If they asked me for my
papers, I would make them tell me why," he declared.

SARKOZY MAY BE BEST BET FOR FRENCH ARABS


6. (C) While acknowledging that Interior Minister Nicolas
Sarkozy is unpopular among young people of Arab extraction
for what they see as his heavy-handed approach to crime in
minority neighborhoods and comments he made during last
fall's riots in some of those neighborhoods, Zerhouni stated
that he is sympathetic to Sarkozy's presidential campaign
because he believes the Interior Minister will support
initiatives similar to affirmative action in the U.S. to help
level the playing field for French Arabs. Referring to
Sarkozy's immigrant roots, Zerhouni described Sarkozy as "a
new man, different from the other politicians." "I think
Sarkozy will change things. For example, he has already said
that if he is president, the police will not be able to ask
anyone for their papers unless they have a reason," he
declared. Describing the "American model" as one that
accepts and celebrates racial, ethnic, and religious
diversity, Zerhouni added that "Sarkozy is the one who might
apply the American model here."


7. (C) Referring to himself as Muslim, Zerhouni stressed that
he has a progressive approach to religion, which he claimed
is common among French Muslims. Nursing a Corona beer,
Zerhouni stated that Islam is "France's second religion." He
stated that French Muslims are having an impact on the French
political system, naming France's reluctance to support the
American invasion of Iraq as an example. "I really think one
of the main reasons France did not help the U.S. in Iraq is
that the government didn't want to make Muslims here angry,"
he stated. Despite this impact, he concluded that France has
not yet fully accepted its minority populations. "In
America, you can be a Muslim with dark skin and hair, but if
you say you are an American, a regular (white) American guy
will accept you as an American. It's not like that in
France. They think you are not totally French."


8. (C) BIONOTE. The Zerhouni name is widely recognized among
Algerians. Mehdi Zerhouni is related to Algerian Interior
Minister and former Ambassador to the U.S. Yazid Zerhouni.
Mehdi, who was born and raised in France, is in his 30s. His
parents currently live in Montreal, Canada where his father
works for a multinational company. He and his wife, Karima,
have a three-year-old daughter. He works for a private
school that educates journalists. Mehdi speaks English and
Arabic, though he described his Arabic as "the Arabic of the
street" and explained he does not understand formal Arabic
very well. He has spent significant time in the U.S.,
including one year at the home of his uncle, Director of the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Dr. Elias Zerhouni, in
Maryland.

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

STAPLETON