• Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Global logoCarnegie lettermark logo
DemocracyIran
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [
    "H. A. Hellyer",
    "Rim-Sarah Alouane"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "MEP",
  "programs": [
    "Middle East"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Western Europe",
    "France"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Security",
    "Religion"
  ]
}

Source: Getty

In The Media

France Should Tread Carefully Before Taking Action that May Empower Extremists Further

Extremism of all types, and the abrogation of civil liberties on the altar of securitization, need to be opposed in the same breath. In so doing, people can deny extremists the victory they seek.

Link Copied
By H. A. Hellyer and Rim-Sarah Alouane
Published on Nov 1, 2020
Program mobile hero image

Program

Middle East

The Middle East Program in Washington combines in-depth regional knowledge with incisive comparative analysis to provide deeply informed recommendations. With expertise in the Gulf, North Africa, Iran, and Israel/Palestine, we examine crosscutting themes of political, economic, and social change in both English and Arabic.

Learn More

Source: Independent

In the aftermath of the killing of the French teacher Samuel Paty, the French state responded – and now, with the further killings in Nice at the hands of more extremists, there will be an even greater impetus to act. 

As scholars concerned with extremism of different types on the one hand and the upholding of civil liberties on the other, we know there are lessons from recent European history that are prescient here.  

There’s a crucial window within which the French authorities can act in a way that brings society together, upholding fundamental freedoms and rights for all. Or, they can choose a trajectory of further calamity.

Read Full Text

This article was originally published in the Independent.

About the Authors

H. A. Hellyer

Former Nonresident Scholar, Middle East Program

Dr. H.A. Hellyer was a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He serves as a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies in London, and as a Cambridge University fellow.

Rim-Sarah Alouane

Authors

H. A. Hellyer
Former Nonresident Scholar, Middle East Program
H. A. Hellyer
Rim-Sarah Alouane
SecurityReligionWestern EuropeFrance

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

  • leaders sitting in chairs speaking
    Commentary
    Emissary
    As Rubio Lands in India, the U.S.-India Relationship Is Stronger Than It Looks

    Despite public disputes over trade and immigration, the strategic partnership’s foundations remain sturdy.

      • Sameer Lalwani

      Sameer Lalwani

  • big military plane sitting out in the open
    Commentary
    Emissary
    Why the Pentagon Was So Spooked About the B–1 Bombers in England

    It signals a new era of tech diffusion and warfare.

      • Steve Feldstein

      Steve Feldstein

  • Commentary
    Strategic Europe
    Taking the Pulse: Does the EU Have a France Problem?

    With its public finances in shambles, the far right polling at 35 percent ahead of the 2027 presidential election, and a growing protest movement, is France’s crisis a threat to the EU’s geopolitical awakening?

      • Rym Momtaz

      Rym Momtaz, ed.

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    In the Kremlin’s AI Propaganda Blitz, the Noise Is the Signal

    Russia’s AI-driven propaganda campaigns operate in a fragmented, chaotic, and often illogical manner. That’s not necessarily a problem for the Kremlin, though: It’s much easier to mimic genuine public debate that way.

      Ilya Klishin

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Stalled at the Front, Russia Seeks to Undermine Ukraine’s Economic Capacity

    Russian strikes are weakening the economy sustaining Ukraine’s war effort. Closing the growing funding gap will require more European support and politically contentious reforms in Kyiv.

      Balázs Jarábik

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Carnegie global logo, stacked
1779 Massachusetts Avenue NWWashington, DC, 20036-2103Phone: 202 483 7600
  • Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
  • Donate
  • Programs
  • Events
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts
  • Contact
  • Annual Reports
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
  • Government Resources
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.