Islamist extremism in Britain and France: Muslim communities compared

This paper compares the integration of the British and French Muslim communities in order to determine if there are differences that can explain why Britain has experienced a greater level of Islamist extremism than France in recent years. Home to two of Europe's largest Muslim communities, the issue of Muslim integration in Britain and France has become inherent to the threat of "homegrown" terrorism. While integration in relation to radicalization has often been dismissed, this paper examines British and French integration policies beyond the narrow definition of socioeconomics to include discussion of national integration models, living situations, identity, and politicization. Analysis through these topics reveals important divergences between the integration of Muslims in Britain and France that offer an explanation for differing recent experiences with extremism in the two countries.