Table Of ContentThe Republic Unsettled
The Republic Unsettled
Duke University Press Durham and London 2014
Muslim French and the Contradictions of Secularism
mayanthi l. fernando
© 2014 Duke University Press
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America on acid- free paper ∞
Designed by Courtney Leigh Baker
Typeset in Quadraat by Westchester Publishing Services
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
Fernando, Mayanthi L.
The republic unsettled : Muslim French and the contradictions of secularism / Mayanthi
L. Fernando.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn 978- 0- 8223- 5734- 6 (cloth : alk. paper)
isbn 978- 0- 8223- 5748- 3 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Muslims— France.
2. Islam— France.
3. Secularism— France. I. Title.
dc34.5.m87f47 2014
305.6'970944—dc32014000768
Cover art: Maïmouna Guerresi, Infi nity Sound 1, 2009. Sculpture in white resin, mirror,
120 × 27 × 22 cm. © Maïmouna Guerresi, courtesy Stux Gallery, New York.
Contents
Ac know ledg ments vii Introduction 1
field notes i: “Vive la République Plurielle” 29
One. “The Republic Is Mine” 33
Two. Indiff erence, or the Right to Citizenship 69
field notes ii: Friday Prayers 101
Three. “A Memorial to the Future” 105
Four. Reconfi guring Freedom 145
field notes iii: A Tale of Two Manifestos 181
Five. Of Mimicry and Woman 185
Six. Asymmetries of Tolerance 221
Epilogue 261 Notes 2 67 References 285 Index 305
Ac know ledg ments
I have been tremendously fortunate in writing this book, and many who
were crucial to the project were entirely unpredictable gift s. In Michel-
Rolph Trouillot I found an intellectual touchstone and second father. It was
Rolph who pushed me to work on France, to attempt an anthropology of
the West. He was—t o use one of his favorite phrases—t he condition of pos-
sibility for my scholarship. I am equally grateful to Saba Mahmood, whose
guidance has shaped me in ways I am still discovering. Saba was, and re-
mains, a mentor and model, her intellectual rigor consistently matched by
her care for me as a scholar and a person. I owe her a debt that can never be
repaid. Nawel Gafsia has become a sister. She opened all kinds of doors for
my research, and her warmth and integrity always made me feel welcome. I
begin the book with her name as a pseudonym in a small gesture of thanks.
Monique Nadal took me under her wing and introduced me to Paris, mak-
ing my two years there not just livable but thoroughly enjoyable. Nawel and
Monique did more than make my research possible; they made France my
home.
This project began at the University of Chicago. I would like to thank
Jean Comaroff , my dissertation committee cochair, who, in a moment of
characteristic generosity, took me on as an advisee aft er Rolph’s illness. Her
wisdom and determination continue to inspire me. I am indebted to the
rest of my committee— Nadia Abu el- Haj, Leora Auslander, and Elizabeth
Povinelli—f or pushing me in directions I otherwise would not have gone.
In Yarimar Bonilla I found a lifelong friend and interlocutor. Yari has been
a sister in arms and kindred spirit from the beginning, and she remains an
unparalleled source of aff ection, laughter, and intellectual and emotional
support. Jessica Greenberg, Andrea Muehlebach, and other members of
the Anthropology of Eu rope graduate student workshop were my scholarly
anchors at Chicago. The remarkable Anne Ch’ien made everything come
together. Anne-C arinne Trouillot continues to make Chicago a home away
from home.
This book really took shape at the Institute for Advanced Study, and I
thank all the participants in the Secularism seminar there. In Prince ton,
New Jersey, I lived and grew in ways I never would have imagined, and three
people in part icu l ar are responsible for that. Joan W. Scott has long been an
inspiration. I am honored to have become an interlocutor of hers and am
deeply grateful not only for her multiple careful readings of my manuscript,
but also for her unparalleled generosity, kindness, and support over the last
few years. Gil Anidjar turned everything inside out; his critical engagement,
friendship, and care continue to sustain me. Judith Surkis proved that one
can think and laugh simultaneously, and it is a plea sure to be in her intel-
lectual and familial orbit.
The University of California, Santa Cruz, is a place like no other, and
I am lucky to be surrounded h ere by exceptional colleagues. Lisa Rofel and
Susan Harding have been the mentors all jun ior faculty members wish for.
Lisa read my manuscript on numerous occasions, and she has guided me,
supported me, and encouraged me throughout my time at Santa Cruz.
S usan’s insistence on challenging everything pushed me to think in new
ways. I am particularly thankful to Lisa and Susan for persuading me to
let my ethnography do more work in the book. I was glad to have Danilyn
R utherford as a writing partner; her unexpected insights propelled my
manuscript in novel directions and helped me clarify my arguments. Mark
Anderson has become a trusted friend, and I am grateful for how much he
looks out for me; a better left tackle I won’t fi nd. Andrew Mathews, Anna
Tsing, and Matthew Wolf- Meyer helped me to think in more rhizomatic
ways. I have also been fortunate to make the Department of Feminist Stud-
ies a second home. I laugh constantly with and learn constantly from Anjali
Arondekar and Gina Dent, who have looked aft er me in extraordinary ways.
Neda Atanasoski’s kindness and friendship sustained me in diffi cult times.
I am grateful to Debbie Gould, another writing partner, for her comments
on various chapters and her general camaraderie. The Center for Cultural
Studies has been an invaluable site of critical engagement. Debbie Neal,
viii Ac know ledg ments
Fred Deakin, Christina Domitrovich, Courtney Hewitt, and Allyson Ramage
have made everything run smoothly. I would also like to acknowledge the
support I have received from all my colleagues in the Department of An-
thropology and from Sheldon Kamieniecki, dean of the Division of Social
Sciences. They let me follow a trajectory that likely would have been impos-
sible at other institutions.
Beyond the redwoods of Santa Cruz, Gary Wilder has been a wonderfully
generous interlocutor; his careful comments on my chapters and papers,
as well as his own work, have fundamentally reshaped my thinking. Paul
Silverstein and Susan Terrio provided much-n eeded support and guidance
from the very beginning of this project, when I was still a graduate student,
to its end. Other friends and colleagues have also given generously of their
time, providing critique and encouragement at various points. They in-
clude Hussein Agrama, Valérie Amiraux, John Bowen, Matti Bunzl, Naomi
D avidson, Lara Deeb, Nadia Fadil, Didier Fassin, Eric Fassin, Nilufer Göle,
Manu Goswami, Nacira Guénif Souilamas, Steven Hause, Charles Hirschkind,
Cécile Laborde, Ruth Mas, Adeline Masquelier, Russell McCutcheon, Megan
Moodie, Annelies Moors, Denis Provencher, Lucinda Ramberg, Ruba Salih,
Noah Salomon, Andrew Shryock, Benjamin Soares, and Winnifred Sullivan.
The manuscript was completed while I was a visiting professor at Wesleyan
University, and I am grateful to Jennifer Tucker, Peter Gottschalk, Mary-
Jane Rubenstein, and the Feminist, Gender, and Sexual Studies Program for
so generously making that opportunity possible.
Beyond the world of academe, Elizabeth Markovits, Bennett Hazlip, and
Buddy made my two years in St. Louis a blast. I am happy to have fi nally
joined my surrogate grandparents, Rhoda and Leon Litwack, in California.
Clara Petit has kept me grounded. Jessica Seddon continues to teach me
that contentment comes in all confi gurations. Michelle Pollock has picked
up the pieces and made me laugh, over and over. And Dorian Bell was a kind
and brilliant companion, reading chapters meticulously and encouraging
me unfailingly.
My book is based primarily on twenty months of fi eldwork in Paris, Rennes,
and Nantes, most of it conducted between 2002 and 2004, with additional
research undertaken between 2007 and 2011. All names except those of rec-
ognizable public fi gures are pseudonyms. In some ways that is unfortunate,
because the book would not have been possible without the generosity of
my interlocutors in France, all of whom I wish I could thank by name. They
spoke to me candidly and forthrightly about some diffi cult issues. For their
time, openness, and patience with my questions, I would like to thank in
Ac know ledg ments ix
