US embassy cable - 05PARIS7899

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