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In 2011, two North African national football teams faced each other. In the aftermath of the match, minor incidents were reported in Paris as groups of supporters displayed their respective flags in the streets. I remember watching a French news report in the days that followed. It featured an elderly resident who bluntly — and quite understandably — asked why a match between two foreign countries was causing clashes in Paris.
Ten years later, the same teams met again and, once more, tensions erupted, this time on a much larger scale, including incidents on the Champs-Elysees. This pattern shows that what happened after Paris Saint-Germain’s UEFA Champions League final victory against Arsenal last week was not entirely surprising.
Most media in France covered the aftermath as a football and a youth problem. This is partly true. Just as the UK faced violence from football hooligans, it was dealt with through both security measures and engagement. Yet, despite no ethnicity or religious background being officially disclosed among the hundreds of arrests reported (more than 400 nationwide, according to police figures), the whisper tends to point the finger at French dual citizens and individuals with North African backgrounds. The few examples mentioned in the media include individuals already known to the police for public order offenses.
The level of chaos observed during what should have been the celebration of a victory has raised further questions about stability and public order.
French justice has responded swiftly by holding rapid court hearings, handing down fines and short custodial sentences in some cases, while enforcing stadium bans and other restrictions on identified offenders. But everyone knows the issue will not be solved, with some even hinting at the risk of these crowds being instrumentalized by enemy nations to create chaos and destruction during times of increased geopolitical tension.
There is a real question about where the loyalty of children of North African origin lies: with France or with their country of origin, which most of them do not even know, as they have been born and raised in France.
There are more than two sides to each story. The scenes in France are troublesome. To start with, before any violence, I, as a French citizen, am bothered by seeing the waving of foreign flags on French soil to celebrate the victory of a team from the capital because it is done with a political message and not out of genuine celebration. There has been an indoctrination pushed by thought leaders that, by raising foreign flags, you express your right to protest the state’s oppression, while those waving the French flag are accused of extremism. There is something wrong with this equation. Since when has being proud of your country, looking up to its flag and being moved by its national anthem something that is wrong?
Yet, we cannot stop there. France has welcomed immigrants throughout its history and has always been a generous nation. Too generous, some might say. And many of the youth are stuck in areas that lack opportunities and where order no longer exists. A French comedian said it better than I ever will. He stated that everybody mentions the social elevator available in France, yet no one mentions that today it is broken down and smells bad.
There is indeed a real issue with the assimilation — not integration — of a large part of the youth of the country.
Khaled Abou Zahr
There is indeed a real issue with the assimilation — not integration — of a large part of the youth of the country that comes from Africa. My belief is that there is no real will by any of the political parties to do anything about it because they serve as the perfect pawns in their political games.
The left-wing parties have played their hand well. They have created an environment of a welfare state with a very focused geographic targeting, emphasizing social protection. This approach has increased long-term dependency on state support and guaranteed votes in elections. On the other hand, the right-wing parties, which have in some cases moved away from traditional conservative values, often respond to these issues with scapegoating, particularly during election cycles.
This dynamic has left the youth in a no-man’s land, devoured by a political game where support for law and order and national identity is demonized instead of being respected. It is especially visible in how different political actors and media outlets highlight voices as representative of broader communities, including segments of the Muslim population.
The bottom line is that living conditions in these communities are below the national average in terms of income, employment, and access to opportunity. All indicators are bad, with higher poverty and unemployment rates, particularly among young people. Housing is often dominated by social housing and, while some areas remain stable, others face challenges such as insecurity, drug-related activity and weaker access to services and infrastructure compared to other parts of the country. So, how do you move on from there?
Nobody can break these cycles but the communities themselves. This is an uphill battle because it demands a real fight for a place in France and not a handout. Previous communities have done this successfully. I believe civic engagement should be a key priority. For example, for minor infractions and even those following the PSG-Arsenal match, why not create a program led by the army to promote civic engagement through community service or youth mentorship, while also sharing the stories of those who have fallen for the country and honoring their memory?
This would be more beneficial. And then apply strong justice, as the French saying goes: “Who loves well, punishes well.” This could lead to a more sustainable approach to empower communities instead of relying on a pyramidal political structure or short-term electoral objectives. Despite everything, I am sure that, deep down, France is where their loyalty lies. We only need to help them rise to the challenge.
• Khaled Abou Zahr is the founder of SpaceQuest Ventures, a space-focused investment platform. He is CEO of EurabiaMedia and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.
