Muslims And Minorities In The West Face Similar Disenfranchisement

Muslim worshipper walks past a poster reading “Mourning Mosque” for the friday prayer at the Yahya Mosque, in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, Normandy, France, Friday, July 29, 2016. Four days after the hostage taking in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, officials and worshippers of the muslim community paid tribute to Priest Jacques Hamel and Christian community. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
Muslim worshipper walks past a poster reading "Mourning Mosque" for the friday prayer at the Yahya Mosque, in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, Normandy, France, Friday, July 29, 2016. Four days after the hostage taking in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, officials and worshippers of the muslim community paid tribute to Priest Jacques Hamel and Christian community. Francois Mori/AP
Muslim worshipper walks past a poster reading “Mourning Mosque” for the friday prayer at the Yahya Mosque, in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, Normandy, France, Friday, July 29, 2016. Four days after the hostage taking in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, officials and worshippers of the muslim community paid tribute to Priest Jacques Hamel and Christian community. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
Muslim worshipper walks past a poster reading "Mourning Mosque" for the friday prayer at the Yahya Mosque, in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, Normandy, France, Friday, July 29, 2016. Four days after the hostage taking in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, officials and worshippers of the muslim community paid tribute to Priest Jacques Hamel and Christian community. Francois Mori/AP

Muslims And Minorities In The West Face Similar Disenfranchisement

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Social exclusion, income disparity and mass incarceration of people of color have played a large role in this year’s U.S. Presidential election. They’re are also common themes for Muslims in Western-styled democracies. 

In France, for example various estimates state that Muslims make up anywhere from 60 to 70 percent of the country’s prison population

We talk about some of these commonalities between minorities and Muslims with Rashid Khalidi, professor of Arab studies at Columbia University. He lives part-time in France.