OPINION: France is hurtling towards a precipice of debt

France is on the cusp of a far-right landslide, as presidential frontrunner Marine Le Pen's fixation on the hijab is merely a symptom of the deeply ingrained Islamophobia within the nation. The National Rally leader is set to launch her campaign, focusing on immigration and Islam, and plans to hold two referendums: one to restrict immigration and another to ban the hijab in public spaces. This approach aims to legitimize structural racism and Islamophobia by garnering majoritarian approval.

Similar to Nigel Farage's strategy with Brexit, Le Pen understands the power of an organized and relentless campaign. Encouraged by recent electoral victories of far-right leaders, such as the US President Donald Trump, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Germany's AfD, French fascists believe they are on the brink of achieving their goals.

France is experiencing an epoch similar to that witnessed in the US, Italy, and Germany, and the National Rally's eventual rise to power would be a significant chapter in this epoch.

This epoch began with the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, and the forces at play today are the mature offspring of that "war on terror." While these movements openly display their supremacist nature and authoritarian intent, they do not fundamentally differ from the governments that preceded them. Instead, they simply demand harsher, more Islamophobic measures to be implemented faster, with the support of entire societies.

The proposed hijab referendum in France is not merely the move of an obsessively Islamophobic party with a nostalgic past. Instead, it is an opportunity for an obsessively Islamophobic nation to pass legislation that could effectively suppress Muslims' freedom of religion. Cynical tactics are evident throughout the electoral process, as Muslim voters may find a surprising ally in Jean-Luc Melenchon, head of the far-left France Unbowed party.

Melenchon has recently acknowledged his previous opposition to the hijab as a "terrible mistake," suggesting a shift in his stance on Muslim freedom of religion. However, he remains committed to not repealing the 2004 ban, citing the need to protect children.