Political Islam and Islamism in Europe—French Perspectives

In France, three personalities have become symbols of the threat of Islamism to which they have fallen victim: Father Hamel, gendarmerie officer Arnaud Beltrame, and teacher Samuel Paty. Remembering the deaths of these three individuals is essential to addressing Islamism and its destructive effects in France. The challenges that Islamism poses to French society are not only a matter of political, administrative, legal, and intelligence means to be analysed. They also touch the human and daily lives of citizens, a concern that is increasingly present in political discourse. These issues become national in that they affect French citizens acting on national soil. This does not preclude an examination of foreign influences or the impact that certain Islamist networks operating in France may have in or outside Europe.