La Possibilité d’un Complot

Abstract This article asserts that the main polarity that structures the controversy around Islam and its followers in France is the one that opposes the proponents of the liberal motive—that is to say, of a strictly individualistic perspective that does not consider the historical links constituted within the society—to those of the conservative motive—which postulate the strong thesis of the existence of a coordinated conspiracy of the Muslims. The main point of contention is thus the qualification of the main point of contention is the characterization of collective experiences in modern society, denied by some and reified by others. The shift from the fight against radicalization to the anti-separatism apparatus can be understood as the passage from a liberal moment—discursively based on the repression of deviant individuals—to an ongoing conservative one where the Muslim community is explicitly incriminated as an inadequacy within the liberal and secular society.