‘Islamo-leftism’, or the mainstreaming of conspiracy theories and Islamophobia in French politics

One way in which Islamophobia and conspiracy theories meet is in the use of the compound word‘Islamo-leftism’ to indicate the alleged ideological and electoral proximity between two broadly defined categories: Muslims and the left. Building on research showing that Islamo-leftism is based on conspiratorial thinking, this paper contributes to ongoing debates on Islamophobia and conspiracy theories by unpacking which elements of conspiracy theories are present or absent in the discourse on Islamo-leftism. Gaudino argues that Islamo- leftism is an embryonic conspiracy theory that aims to delegitimize those who raise awareness about Islamophobia (specifically targeting researchers and left- wing parties). After discussing the contested origins of Islamo-leftism and its relevance for current debates on conspiracy theories and Islamophobia, the author selects France as a case study to investigate how accusations of Islamo-leftism are mobilized in institutional settings and on social media. The findings show that Islamo-leftism is employed not only on the far right, but also by mainstream right and centrist parties. Islamo-leftists are blamed for helping Muslims infiltrate French institutions and universities, subvert gender equality and normalize antisemitism. After presenting its methodology and findings, the paper concludes that Islamo-leftism is an embryonic conspiracy theory that should not be underestimated because of its striking resemblance with past conspiracy theories against minorities (e.g. Judeo-Bolshevism) and its potential discriminatory effects, as well as its generalizability to other countries where Muslims are securitized.<p></p>