Survey Reveals 8 in 10 Muslims Face Widespread Hate in France

A shocking new survey conducted by polling company Ifop among 1,000 Muslims in France reveals that two-thirds of respondents (66%) have experienced racist behavior in the past five years, far higher than the general population (20%) or followers of other religions (18%). The survey, commissioned by the Observatory of Discrimination Against Muslims in France, paints a stark picture of everyday Islamophobia in the country.

Who Faces the Worst Discrimination?

• Women wearing the hijab: 75%

• People under 25: 76%

• Muslims with strong accents: over 81%

• Muslims of sub-Saharan origin: 84%

These figures show that intersectional factors such as age, appearance, and neighborhood drastically increase vulnerability to discrimination.

Daily Life Under Scrutiny

Discrimination occurs most frequently in areas that should be neutral:

• Job searches: 51%

• Police checks: 51%

• Housing applications: 46%

Even public services, healthcare, and schools are hotspots for normalized discrimination, with 36% reporting bias from public administration, 29% from healthcare professionals, and 38% from teachers.

Fear and Anxiety Among Muslims

The survey highlights widespread fear among French Muslims:

• 51% worry about being attacked for their religion

• 66% of veiled women share this fear

• 75% anticipate rising hatred toward all Muslims

• 64% fear restrictions on religious freedoms

• Among veiled women, the figure rises to 81%, reflecting recent policies targeting Islamic clothing

Official Response

Chems-Eddine Hafiz, rector of the Paris Grand Mosque, which commissioned the survey, called for urgent action against Muslimophobia, stressing it is a national security and social cohesion issue, not just a community concern. “A Republic that allows such inequality among its citizens betrays its very foundations,” Hafiz said.

Francois Kraus, director of Ifop’s Politics and Current Affairs division, noted that Islamophobia permeates the social experience of French Muslims, creating collective anxiety across all aspects of life.

Rising Anti-Muslim Acts

Anti-Muslim acts in France have increased dramatically in recent years. The Interior Ministry reported a 75% rise in anti-Muslim incidents from January to May 2025 compared to 2024. With 5–6 million Muslims in France, the second-largest religion in the country is under increasing social pressure.

To combat this, the Paris Grand Mosque and Ifop established the Observatory of Discrimination Against Muslims in France, aiming to provide comprehensive measurement of discrimination beyond complaints and testimonies, which are often underreported.

According to the survey, only two out of three Muslims would even consider filing a complaint with law enforcement in cases of discrimination, highlighting the pervasive fear and distrust among the community.