France’s ban on CAGE director exposing state-sponsored Islamophobia

Muhammad Rabbani, the Managing Director of CAGE, a London-based independent advocacy organisation, was banned from entering France on July 11.

His impactful presentation exposing France’s deliberate targeting of Muslims at the last year’s summit of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is widely believed to be the main reason behind the ban.

Rabbani arrived in Paris on July 11 to meet with French media members and civil society leaders. Shortly after his arrival, he was detained by French authorities and spent 24 hours in custody, first at a police station and later at a migrant detention centre. During this period of detention, he was questioned by police and an official from the Ministry of Interior.

The ban, purportedly based on allegations of spreading conspiracy theories about "Islamophobic persecution," has exposed a deeply rooted systemic discrimination against France's Muslim population.

Established in 2003 with the aim of empowering communities affected by the War on Terror, CAGE has been closely monitoring the state policies in France and their repercussions on its Muslim population. In a comprehensive report published in 2022, they presented compelling evidence of state-sponsored persecution of Muslims.

The French interior ministry outlined the reasons for banning Rabbani in a document dated 31 October 2022 which said: "His presence on national territory would constitute a serious threat to public order and [the] internal security of France".

The recent civil unrest triggered by the tragic killing of Nahel Merzouk was yet another grim reminder of systemic abuse meted out against minorities, especially Muslims, by the French police. The French government continues to employ judicial measures to silence international advocates shedding light on entrenched systemic discrimination against Muslims, with Rabbanni’s ban being the latest case.

The power of advocacy

Rabbani's prominent role as the Managing Director of CAGE has been marked by tireless advocacy for human rights and justice.

At the OSCE conference held in September 2022, he fearlessly exposed France's state-sponsored Islamophobia and the devastating impact of the Systemic Obstruction Policy - initiated by the French government in 2018 to target so-called ‘radical Islam’- and Anti-Separatism Law-adopted in 2021 to bolster France’s secular system and criticised by the UN for targeting and marginalising Muslims with the law-.

“This policy is unashamedly named the systemic obstruction policy, and its express aim, according to the French Interior Minister Darmanin, is to terrorise the Muslim community. The result has been a sustained attack on and the curtailment of civil society,” he said in that conference.

He further gave detailed information on how the French state targeted specifically Muslim communities.

“According to the French government’s own data, in less than four years, 24,000 Muslim-owned associations, charities, and businesses have been targeted through unjustified investigations. 718 of them have been forced to close. 46 million euros has been confiscated from the Muslim community.”

His calls for transparency, justice, and an end to discriminatory policies challenged the status quo, making him and CAGE a vocal figure in advocating for the rights of marginalised communities.

A Troubling Ban: Suppressing Voices Exposing Discrimination

Cage described the ban as “totally absurd” and an example of “authoritarian overreach”.

Rabbani says, “France has banned me for delivering a speech at the OSCE conference, the world’s largest regional security intergovernmental organisation, exposing the systematic obstruction policy in September last year.”

As Mobashra Tazamal, the Associate Director of the Bridge Initiative, which is a research project on Islamophobia at Georgetown University points out, Rabbani's ban is part of the worrying trend — a reluctance to confront systemic discrimination against its Muslim population.

“The recent ban on CAGE's Director demonstrates the increasing attempts of governments to silence politically-active Muslims who call attention to rising Islamophobia in the country. CAGE has done extensive and important work documenting how the French government has waged a campaign of discrimination and harassment against its Muslims citizens, clearly showing how the state's harmful policies violate the basic civil and human rights of Muslims.”

Instead of engaging in dialogue and addressing legitimate concerns, rights advocates say certain elements within the French state appear intent on suppressing dissenting voices.

“France claims to be a country committed to free speech, but this incident demonstrates that there is a double standard in its application of the fundamental right. Rather than engage in a serious conversation about the state of religious freedom and human rights in the country, the French government has instituted authoritarian measures by banning a Muslim rights activist.” adds Tazamal.

She concludes her words saying, “It appears that France does not like being called out on its record of anti-Muslim discrimination, and instead chooses the undemocratic option of silencing experts and critics.”