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Rabat – Throughout the past three years, many reports have documented an alarming increase in Islamophobia, racism, and xenophobia against Arabs, Muslims, and migrants among others in Europe, particularly France.
In most cases, however, little to nothing has been done to discourage or tackle this rising anti-Islam sentiment in the midst of what some observers have even called as “the tipping point” of European Islamophobia.
Mouhssine Zouine’s sad story is one of many that, while having made local and international headlines and galvanized online comments of support and virtual shows of solidarity with victims, have not really inspired any much-needed action from French — or by extension European — authorities.
A father of six, the Moroccan-French baker opened his bakery, “Dina L’Amie du Pain,” in 2020 in the town of Saint Marcellin, in the Isere department in southeastern France, 51 kilometers from the city of Grenoble.
The bakery, which sells oriental and traditional pastry products, was all the fruit of decades of savings to honor Zouine’s lifelong commitment to and passion for bakery. As he lived his dream of owning such a place, however, the French-Moroccan baker’s life efforts soon turned into a nightmare after racist campaigns targeted him and his business.
“The problem started in November 2021,” Zouine told Morocco World News (MWN), stressing that that was when he first faced various challenges, including boycott, verbal threats, trash being thrown on his door, among many other hostile acts.
The baker, 46, emphasized that he thought that the issue would stop after he opened up to the media, including AJ+ Francais, where he spoke about his situation for the first time.
“But it has not stopped,” he said, noting that he does not know why such racist, islamophobic campaigns continue to target him.
“I don’t know, there is no problem with my products, the problem is that I am a Moroccan Muslim and (thank god) I am proud of it,” he said.
Dismissed
As the hateful campaigns continued, Mouhssine decided to file a complaint in December 2022. While he was “well received” by security services, who asked him to present videos or photos of racist acts, nothing seems to have been done since to arrest the perpetrators.
“I did not have them. To date, I have received no response regarding my complaint,” Zouine said, stressing that his business has been going through rough times due to the boycott.
“My shop is still open, but I am afraid I am going to close it soon due to the boycott targeting my business. I am getting into a lot of debt because of that,” he said, adding that even after filing a complaint, he still continues to face attacks.
“It hurts me not to react, but ignoring such insults is the only option I have,” Zouine said, stressing that he has received support from the North African community in France, including Algerians, Moroccans, and Tunisians.
He said that people from many countries, including from Belgium, Canada, US have also been extending him their support and solidarity.
Zouine’s business is now under threat, but he insists that what concerns him the most is his inability to provide meals for people in need during the holy month of Ramadan as he used to do for more than a few years.
The French-Moroccan baker’s business is at risk of closing in the next 15 days. Yet when asked for help from the mayor of Saint Marcellin, the local official claimed that there is “no racist” in the region.” Zouine quoted the mayor as saying: “The best proof of that [there being no racism in his town] is that we are receiving refugees from Ukraine.”
Many media reports and personal anecdotes have over the past two to three years spoken of “droitisation,” the French political discourse’s alarming shift to the right. Not surprisingly, the immediate consequence has been the disturbing normalization or banalization of racism and Islamophobia.
In many cities and towns across France, the past two years, especially the period leading up to last year’s presidential elections, have seen France’s religious and ethnic minorities be overwhelmed by various racist attacks, including the proliferation of offensive comments on social media and acts of vandalism or sabotage targeting mosques, cemeteries, and individuals’ businesses.
Last year in November, a far-right parliamentarian sparked an uproar in France after he shouted “go back to Africa” at a black MP during a parliament session.
In September of the same year, the Herault Prefecture in France’s Montpellier region posted a tweet stressing that migrants, including homeless Moroccan and Algerian people, are “unwanted” and “unwelcome.”
