Why French officials placed a Muslim war memorial in the intellectual heart of Paris in the 20th century

(The Conversation) — The Paris Grand Mosque, an iconic cultural landmark located in the heart of the city, is celebrating its centenary . Built as a war memorial to honor Muslim soldiers killed during World War I, it was the first permanent mosque in the French capital and remains its only mosque built with a minaret and a dome. The story behind its construction reflects the politics of colonialism in interwar Paris.

While estimates vary, scholars generally agree that more than 500,000 men from the French empire , including North African, West African and Southeast Asian countries , fought for France between 1914 and 1918. These troops were deployed in critical areas and suffered high casualty rates . Muslims represented approximately 70% of the 100,000 colonial soldiers killed in battle. During and after the war, France sought ways to recognize the sacrifices of its Muslim subjects.

As a professor of French history , I regularly offer classes on war and society in 20th-century Europe. I teach my students how to “read” the war memorials that appeared across the world in the 1920s and ’30s to mourn the dead. Their symbolic messages often tell us more about politics and society…