Pierre Manent has written an extraordinary book. It contains one statistic and no policy analysis, yet should be essential reading for policymakers. It cites no scholarly books, yet should be essential reading for scholars. How does Manent manage to appeal to so many readers despite making so few concessions to their particular methods and materials? The answer lies in the general relevance of his argument, along with the force, grace, and measure with which that argument is made. The English translation is reliable but its title is designed to sell copies rather than reproduce the original. La Situation de la France might be rendered as The Current State of France, which captures Manent’s starting point. He treats the political situation not as it was, should be, or might be in the indeterminate future but as it stands before our eyes. France is home to a substantial, poorly integrated Muslim community that has begun to commit acts of homegrown terrorism. Hopes that secularism, individual rights, or European integration will somehow resolve these problems appear increasingly hollow. Such abstract notions fail to engender the sense of community necessary both to understand the communal character of Islam and to offer Muslims a meaningful French community with which to engage.

Source: Making Room | The Weekly Standard