Thinking Class #106 - Driss Ghali - France’s Identity Crisis: Violence, Islamism & The Risk Of Social Fracture
Driss Ghali is a political author and speaker. Driss was born in Morocco and educated in Europe. He graduated from prestigious French universities and spent a lot of time in a corporate career focused on high-tech companies. Driss is an intellectual and observer of human nature as it is: ugly and splendid at the same time. Since 2017, he has written books about violence and identity. Driss frequently appears in French media to talk about immigration, diversity, the Middle East and French politics. One of his books has been translated into English titled, A Counter-History of French Colonization.
In this episode Driss and I think out loud about:
- the reasons behind rising violence and civil unrest in France
- why an increasing number of French Muslims are supportive of Islamist positions and Sharia Law over the laws of the Republic
- how mass immigration has precipitated an identity crisis amongst immigrants and host populations
- the perennial question of assimilation and integration
- whether civil war is possible in the event of a government led by National Rally (Jordan Bardella or Marine Le Pen); and
- the need for a bold leader and a new vision for France's future
Listen to my first conversation with Driss here.
Follow Driss Ghali on X: https://x.com/drissghalibooks
You can find Driss Ghali's work here:
About Thinking Class:
Thinking Class is a long-form interview podcast exploring the cultural, historical, and moral forces shaping England, Britain, and the wider Western world.
Hosted by John Gillam, the show features serious conversations with historians, academics, and independent thinkers.
Thinking Class is concerned with discovering long-term patterns over headlines and hot-takes. Expect historically-grounded analysis on matters of national character, institutions, demography, belief, and political legitimacy.
New episodes every week.
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