IMAN KURDI What does it mean to be French? This is a question France has been asking itself, not as a cafe-style philosophical exercise but as part of a full-blown government sponsored debate. French national identity, it seems, is under threat. In order to protect it, it must first be defined. Hence the debate. The French have been asked through a series of town hall meetings, a dedicated website and parliamentary debates to come up with the definition of French national identity. This is no light hearted exercise but something vitally important. According to the French minister for industry, a debate such as this one could have spared Europe the WW II. Yes folks, according to Christian Estrosi, had Hitler undertaken such a consultation about German identity on the eve of the WW II, Europe may have been spared the war and all its devastation Estrosi is the Mayor of Nice and was one of the first French politicians to react to the Swiss referendum vote banning the construction of minarets. "There will be no minarets in Nice," he proclaimed. The construction of a minaret in Nice was hardly likely in the first place since Estrosi has blocked the construction of even a mosque, with or without a minaret. It's not a big jump to see the link. The Swiss vote was the perfect metaphor: no minarets in our landscape means no Islam in our national identity. And that is exactly what the French debate on national identity has turned into, the question is no longer what it means to be French but is being Muslim compatible with being French? National identity is not a national monument. It is not physical and concrete; it cannot be reduced to singing the national anthem or dressing in a certain way. It is a construct, something that is constantly evolving. It is a product of the people that make up a nation, of the nation's history and geography and of the times in which they live. It cannot be defined solely by the past or be forced upon people like a uniform. As the physical and social make-up of a country changes, so does its national identity. There are over five million Muslims in France, representing a sizeable 7.5 percent of the French population. They now form a solid part of French identity; it is irrefutable But they are not really French I hear you say, they're immigrants. I have some sympathy for French fears over the erosion of their national identity. Globalisation is slowly destroying the very essence and beauty of French culture. The French language has been under assault by the supremacy of English for decades now. But if you define Muslims by those regularly seen in the news, namely the extremists, Muslim identity is both salient and at odds with French republican values. It could feel threatening to have a population of five million such 'aliens' in your midst. But that is not the case. French Muslims are mainly second or third generation French citizens and they are fairly well integrated. The exclusion is not a religious one but a social one. The bulk of immigration from North Africa came during the 1960s and the 1970s. France needed the labour to build its industrial base. It is being unemployed and disadvantaged that lead to young men burning cars and other such violent events. The fact that these men may be Muslims is irrelevant. It does not mean that being a Muslim should be equated with violence. Once again it is the news-worthiness of such events that draws a picture of Muslims that is at odds with reality. President Sarkozy has sought to reassure Muslims that they are welcome in France and that he will do his utmost to protect their rights as French citizens. But he also calls on Muslims to practise their religion with 'humble discretion'. Is Sarkozy not simply asking French Muslims to tone down their Islamic identity in order to blend with French national identity? - Khaleej Times