French Populism and Discourses on Secularism

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Per-Erik Nilsson takes a religious studies approach to analyse the intersections of secularism, nationhood and populism in contemporary France. This book provides insight into the French and European radical-nationalist ideology and activism, and contributes to our understanding of the complex relationship between religion and the state in contemporary Europe and beyond. When Marine Le Pen became the leader of the radical nationalist and populist party National Front in 2011, she made clear that secularism was a core value of party. This signalled a significant shift in the party's rhetorical strategies and previous reluctance to embrace secularism. Nilsson argues that this conspicuous appropriation first came about as a logical result of the obsession of the established mainstream political parties and news media with questions of secularism, national identity and Islam. He shows that a key player in understanding the National Fronts change is the web-based journal Riposte Laque, which has become a central actor in French radical-nationalist and anti-Muslim web and street-based activism. For the first time, this source is examined in order to understand French radical nationalists' recent appropriation of secularism, as well as debates on secularism, national identity and Islam in France more broadly.

Reviews

In this in-depth dissection of an important French identitarian far-right movement, Per- Erik Nilsson gives us a clear insight into how these anti-Muslim activists, misleadingly claiming to work in the cause of secularism, argue and mobilize in their frightening attempt to carry out a religious cleansing of France. * John R. Bowen, Dunbar-Van Cleve Professor in Arts & Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, USA, and author of On British Islam (2006) and Can Islam be French (2009). *
To stand out from a crowd of researchers, one has to take a very unusual and creative approach to the topic. In his book French Populism and Discourses on Secularism Per-Erik Nilsson does just this by exploring the phenomenon of populism from a unique perspective. * Journal of Language and Politics *
This timely book is a must-read for those interested in (and concerned by) how lacit has been mobilized for nationalist, racist and xenophobic ends. Why lacit and why now Scholars in a diverse range of fields will find answers in this empirically and theoretically rich monograph. * Jennifer A. Selby, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada, and author of Questioning French Secularism (2012). *

Author Bio

Per-Erik Nilsson is Associate Professor in Sociology of Religion at Uppsala University, Sweden. He is the author of Unveiling the French Republic: National Identity, Secularism, and Islam in contemporary France (2017).