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DE RUEHFR #6995/01 2971445
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P 241445Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2485
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 006995 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/26/2016 
TAGS: KISL INR PTER SCUL FR
SUBJECT: YOUNG FRENCH MUSLIM LEADER HIGHLIGHTS GENERATIONAL 
DIVIDE 
 
Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Josiah B. Rosenblatt 
for reasons 1.4(b)(d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY.  Ahmed Gouffi, a young French-born Muslim 
civic leader, criticized the leaders of France's main Muslim 
organizations as out of touch with young Muslims born in 
France.  His comments echo those of other young French Muslim 
contacts, and highlight a generational divide between 
French-born Muslims and their immigrant parents and 
grandparents.  During several meetings with Poloff, which 
included a walking tour of his northern Paris suburb and a 
meeting with his town's mayor, Gouffi concluded that French 
Muslims will not be fully accepted by, or integrated into, 
French society until a new generation of French-born Muslims 
takes leadership positions in France's Muslim organizations. 
He added that his generation of French-born Muslims is 
distinct from their parents and grandparents because they are 
more vocal in asserting their French identity.  Gouffi said 
that while earlier immigrants came to France to find 
employment and largely remained silent on political issues, 
his generation of French-born Muslims is demanding acceptance 
as equal French citizens from French society and a more 
active role in the nation's political life.  END SUMMARY. 
 
GENERATIONAL DIVIDE: "OUR MUSLIM LEADERS WERE NOT BORN IN 
FRANCE, AND THEY HAVE ACCENTS" 
 
¶2. (C) The loudest cheers during an October 12 "iftar" 
sponsored by the National Federation of French Muslims (FNMF) 
in the ethnically mixed suburb of Clichy-la-Garenne north of 
Paris went to Ahmed Gouffi, a young French-born Muslim of 
Algerian descent, who provoked a sustained ovation with an 
emotional address about discrimination he said Muslims face 
in France.  Citing the recent release of the film 
"Indigenes," which celebrates the role of African soldiers 
from France's colonies who helped liberate France during 
World War II, Gouffi declared: "Now the whole world knows 
what our fathers and grandfathers did for France."  Gouffi, 
who is director of the technical services division of a local 
housing agency, is active in his community and serves on a 
wide range of municipal projects meant to improve the lives 
of local residents.  His involvement in the development of a 
new Muslim cultural center was mentioned during an October 23 
Eid al-Fitr prayer service, marking the end of the Islamic 
holy month of Ramadan, in the suburbs north of Paris that 
drew over 1,000 people. 
 
¶3. (C) During  several meetings with Poloff over the course 
of Ramadan, Gouffi harshly criticized FNMF President Mohammed 
Bechari and other prominent French Muslim leaders as being 
"out of touch" with French-born Muslims, particularly younger 
people.  "I listen to them talk and I cover my face with my 
hands," he said.  "They can't speak French well.  They have 
accents.  They don't understand France, and they weren't born 
here," he declared.  "How can they speak for us?" he asked. 
He noted that Bechari was introduced at the "iftar" in 
Arabic, and explained that he and many French-born Muslims do 
not speak Arabic well.  Gouffi pointed to well-publicized 
tensions between organizations dominated by different ethnic 
groups in the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM) as 
evidence that the current generation of French Muslim leaders 
has not fully integrated into French society.  "Look at them, 
their heads are still in Algeria and Morocco," he noted 
dismissively.  "So often I will see something happen, and I 
will want to tell them: 'Look, you are not in Algeria 
anymore, and we can't do things like that anymore.'" 
 
¶4. (C) Gouffi's comments mirror those of other young 
French-born Muslims.  For example, a Franco-Tunisian 
university student recently told us that he and his friends 
have "very different ideas" than imams and Muslim leaders at 
many of France's major mosques who were not born in France, 
including Paris Grand Mosque Rector and CFCM President Dalil 
Boubakeur, who was born in Algeria.  At the October 24 Eid 
al-Fitr prayer service, several young men sitting near Poloff 
mocked the accents of speakers, several of whom appeared more 
comfortable speaking in Arabic, when they spoke French.  "Ah, 
what are you trying to say, I understand nothing," one young 
man whispered in response to a speaker while his friends 
laughed.  Gouffi and other young French-born Muslims state 
that France's Muslims will not be fully accepted by, nor 
integrated into, French society until their leaders and 
spokespeople are Muslims who were born and raised in France. 
They often point to Minister of Equal Opportunities Azouz 
Begag, who is of Algerian descent but was born in France, as 
a role model for French Muslims who want to integrate into 
French society while remaining proud of their cultural 
heritage.  Gouffi, whose civic involvement has gained 
 
PARIS 00006995  002 OF 002 
 
 
recognition beyond Clichy-la-Garenne, stated that he knows 
the minister and respects him.  "I have worked with Begag on 
some projects, and he is good," Gouffi said. 
 
YOUNGER GENERATION OF FRENCH MUSLIMS MORE ASSERTIVE IN 
CLAIMING FRENCH IDENTITY 
 
¶5. (C) Gouffi stated that his generation of French-born 
Muslims is distinct from their parents and grandparents 
because the younger generation is more vocal in asserting 
their French identity, and in demanding equal political and 
social rights.  "My parents came here to find a job, and were 
happy just to work.  They kept their mouths shut," Gouffi 
explained.  "But the young people now are different because 
they are demanding acceptance by France, and want to have the 
same chances as everybody else," he said.  He declared that 
his generation has greater expectations from French society, 
and wants to play a more active role in the country's 
political process.  "We're not going to be quiet like our 
parents were, and when we have a problem with something we 
let people know," Gouffi said.  "I think France has noticed 
us now." 
 
YOUNG MUSLIM LEADER CONTEMPLATES HIGHER GOALS . . . 
 
¶6. (C) Gouffi is not shy about his aspirations to become more 
involved in his community.  Giving Poloff a walking tour of 
the suburb of Clichy-la-Garenne, Gouffi explained that he was 
raised "in a violent suburb" of Lyon in southeastern France. 
He often cites his patriotism for France and his love for 
Clichy-la-Garenne.  During the tour, he came across many 
friends and acquaintances, kissing non-Muslim women on both 
cheeks in greeting while simply putting his hand on his heart 
when he came across several Muslim female acquaintances. 
Similarly, he alternated between shaking the hands of 
non-Arab men while kissing Arab male acquaintances in a 
traditional greeting.  The outgoing Gouffi, whom one 
acquaintance described as "knowing everyone in this town," 
took obvious pride in his ability to connect with Clichy 
citizens of various ethnic backgrounds.  He stressed that he 
"wants to be friends with everyone, not just Muslims or 
Arabs."  At city hall, Gouffi walked into Mayor Gilles 
Catoire's office without an appointment, introducing Poloff 
to the mayor and his chief-of-staff, Philippe Palomo.  The 
mayor praised Gouffi's involvement in the community, citing 
him as an example of the civic responsibility he said he 
hopes to see among his city's younger generation. 
 
 
. . . BUT WORRIES ABOUT RACISM 
 
¶7. (C) When Poloff asked Gouffi following the meeting with 
the mayor whether he plans to run for elective office, 
however, Gouffi responded with ambivalence.  Often discussing 
the lack of elected representatives of Arab descent in 
France, Gouffi noted that the non-Muslim mayor has been in 
office for 25 years "like a mayor in Algeria."  Nodding when 
a friend in a coffeeshop stated that the French principles of 
"liberty, equality, and fraternity can seem like hypocrisy" 
to those who feel discriminated against in France, Gouffi 
acknowledged doubts about whether he could ascend to a 
position like the mayor's.  While remaining optimistic about 
the ability of his generation of French Muslims to integrate 
and succeed in France, he maintained that there are still 
glass ceilings for those who do not strive hard enough to 
integrate fully into French society.  Stating that he 
believes he has been denied job interviews because his first 
name is "Ahmed," a commonly recognizable Arab name, Gouffi 
concluded: "If I have a son, I don't think I would name him 
Ahmed or Mohammed.  Those names are too Muslim.  I think I 
have been denied jobs because of my name, and I don't want to 
put my kids through that." 
 
 
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm 
STAPLETON