Islamophobia in France stems partially from the relationship the country has had with Muslims and Arab-states in the past, including France’s colonial history, shaping current treatment of and sentiment towards Muslims. Helbing and Traunmüller (2016) seek to understand how a nation’s religious identity influences its citizens’ attitudes towards a religious minority, such as the burgeoning Muslim minority in Western Europe. France specifically is understudied. Analyzing the prevalence of anti-Maghrebin and anti-Muslim hate crimes, I find France’s religious identity impacts the acceptance and treatment of a new Muslim community. Specifically, results indicate a slight correlation between immigration inflows and anti-Muslim hate crime, while historical determinants may be more important. Nonetheless, per capita, Muslims who have been impacted by France's colonial past continue to be victimized at a greater rate than other Muslims, highlighting how anti-immigration and anti-Muslim sentiment are linked to colonialism. Understanding the causes behind current Islamophobic sentiment in France, may encourage new solutions to the national and international conflicts these sentiments promote.
