France’s racial gap between the Olympics and reality

France’s racial gap between the Olympics and reality

Olympic fanfare has swept across Paris in recent weeks, but there is an elephant in the room that’s difficult to ignore – the glaring disparity between France hosting one of the most multicultural events in the world, while at the same time cracking down on diversity.

Only weeks before the Games started, the far right gained huge momentum in a tense parliamentary election in France, reigniting xenophobic sentiment and anti-immigrant rhetoric. The country has been the subject of criticism over its hardline policies for some time. Last year, it introduced a contested immigration bill, parts of which were deemed unconstitutional. And now, even though it says it has hosted the “first gender-equal” Olympics in the history of the event, some of its own Muslim athletes were forced to remove their hijab merely to compete.

Researchers say these policies have bred a mainstream culture of racism, so much so that more ethnic minorities of North African origins and French Muslims are opting to emigrate.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, against the backdrop of the Olympics host Fethi Benaissa looks at the contrast between France’s multi-ethnic fabric and rising xenophobia. He asks what the tipping point will be for those who want to leave their country amid a growing racial divide.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(505)

Why has the US-Iran agreement not been enough to end the war?

Why has the US-Iran agreement not been enough to end the war?

The interim agreement aimed at ending the war between the US and Iran has fallen apart barely three weeks after it was signed. Iran has resumed attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, cla...

17 Jul 18min

What’s at stake for foreign powers battling for influence in Syria?

What’s at stake for foreign powers battling for influence in Syria?

On the sidelines of an eventful Nato summit in Ankara, US President Donald Trump was sitting next to his Syrian counterpart Ahmad Al Shara when he announced his intention to lift Syria’s designation a...

10 Jul 19min

Why are ceasefires not ceasing the fire?

Why are ceasefires not ceasing the fire?

The Middle East has been grappling with one conflict after another, leading to countless rounds of negotiations to end fighting. But even when ceasefires are agreed to, the violence seems to continue,...

3 Jul 24min

What's driving Iraq’s anti-corruption crackdown?

What's driving Iraq’s anti-corruption crackdown?

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi has conducted a bold anti-corruption campaign since taking office in May. One of his first moves was to arrest the deputy oil minister for alleged embezzlement, and t...

26 Jun 18min

The wins and losses of the Iran war

The wins and losses of the Iran war

The US and Iran have signed their framework agreement to end the war. It comes after more than 100 days of fighting, economic and political warfare, and a death toll in the thousands. The two countrie...

19 Jun 21min

Are the US and Israel still fighting the same war?

Are the US and Israel still fighting the same war?

More than 100 days since the US and Israel launched co-ordinated strikes on Iran on February 28, the war that was supposed to eliminate its threat and reshape the region is at a crossroads. Iran's mil...

12 Jun 25min

The limits of soft power: America’s war and its World Cup

The limits of soft power: America’s war and its World Cup

When the US, Canada and Mexico were selected as joint hosts of the 2026 World Cup, they were supposed to be the “safe choice” for Fifa. Football’s global governing body had been criticised for previou...

5 Jun 23min

Replay: Who will fill the security vacuum in Gaza?

Replay: Who will fill the security vacuum in Gaza?

In its first report to the UN Security Council, the Board of Peace this month said Hamas’s refusal to disarm was the main obstacle to the reconstruction of Gaza. The board's leader, Nickolay Mladenov,...

29 Mai 21min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden-usa
fotballpodden-2
aftenpodden
forklart
stopp-verden
popradet
det-store-bildet
rss-gukild-johaug
hanna-de-heldige
rss-ness
aftenbla-bla
nokon-ma-ga
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
rss-utenrikskomiteen-med-bogen-og-grasvik
rss-hor-na-krim-2
e24-podden
unitedno