Anas Daif's Journey into Journalism
Journalist based in Paris
THE READERS
Anas Daif, a French-Moroccan journalist and the creative mind behind the compelling podcast "À l’intersection," stands at the forefront of amplifying marginalized voices in France.
His journey into journalism began during his studies at the École supérieure de journalisme de Lille, where he cultivated a passion for truth-telling and storytelling.
It was during the challenging period of the COVID-19 lockdown in April 2020 that I first crossed paths with Anas on Clubhouse, the social audio app.
Through our interactions, I came to admire his dedication to shedding light on the experiences of marginalized communities in France.
Anas's podcast, "À l’intersection," has become a vital platform for confronting systemic injustices and advocating for social change.
From discussions on racism in the medical sector to explorations of ecological justice and feminist struggles, Anas covers a wide range of topics with nuance, sensitivity, and a commitment to social justice.
His dedication to amplifying diverse voices has garnered widespread recognition and acclaim. Notably, my friend Kiddy Smile, a prominent figure in the French music scene, highly recommended Anas's podcast to me. Kiddy Smile's endorsement speaks volumes about the impact and relevance of Anas's work in challenging the status quo and fostering empathy and understanding among listeners.
As a journalist navigating the complexities of identity and injustice in France, Anas brings a unique perspective to his storytelling.
Could you tell us about the evolution of your podcast from its inception with "Épisode 0: Le racisme anti-blanc" to its latest episodes like "Épisode 15: Démarginaliser l'écologie"?
My podcast was born out of the anger and the frustration of not hearing enough POC voices in the mainstream media talking about subjects that mattered to them. That is why the first episode was a response to a polemic about anti-white racism. I needed to get this out of my chest and to give a counter-discourse on this matter. But as months went by (there is a 9 months span between the pilot episode and the first one), I was thinking about the ways I could convey my messages and views without always having to respond to polemics made up by the right or far-right wingers (hell even the left wingers !). That is when I decided to give people a platform where they could share their experiences on racism and discrimination.
Since then, lots of things have happened. I was able to create a real safe space for people of color who wanted to tell their stories on police brutality, racial fetishism, hijab, intersectionality, anti-asian racism and ecology. This podcast became - what I like to call it - the "people's podcast". Anyone is welcome, whether they're just "random" individuals with something to say or scholars and writers.
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It's really interesting that you picked this particular episode and thank you for that! Because this episode was the very pivotal moment for "à l'intersection". It's the moment where I finally found the "perfect recipe". In April 2020, a young Arab man from a working class neighborhood (in the Paris Metropolitan Area) had a scooter accident with a police car. Before anyone knew anything about the circumstances of this accident, editorialists, police union members and journalists were quick to criminalize the victim who almost lost his leg. Tired and frustrated to witness once again this kind of media treatment towards Arab and Black people, I tweeted that I was looking for Black and Brown people who had a record/story on police brutality. In less than 24 hours, I received 20+ messages - mostly from men, because they're more targeted than women according to statistics - of people willing to talk about it. 48 hours later, the episode was online. I felt a strength and a connection to these people, as if I was invested in a mission to share their stories. My goal is simple: I don't want any people of color in France to feel as if they're the problem.
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What I like about the participants of this episode is that they have their own story and personality, breaking the mainstream discourses on women wearing the hijab. It shows their differences and common points, their view on the world, their critical mind whether it's about French politics or their own community. For instance, they're not afraid to make a criticism on the terme "femme voilée" (veiled woman) that removes all their agency ; or the intra-community debate on being self-employed if you struggle to find a job in France because you're a hijabi. This episode and their arguments go beyond their material conditions as women wearing the hijab and explore different topics related to this subject, leaving many rooms for thoughts and self-reflections.
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This episode is about the relationship children of immigrants have with their parents' native tongue. France is known to nurture a condescending relation to languages from the global south. For instance, you could speak multiple languages from the African continent but it wouldn't be able to compete with being an English speaker. My own parents don't only speak Arabic, they speak the Moroccan dialect as well as the Egyptian, Syrian, Lebanese, Saudi and Iraqi dialect, just to name a few, each one having different grammar rules and different words and accents. But are they considered multilingual? Of course not.
There are many key takeaways and I would need three full word pages, but here are some :
- Lots of children of immigrants who speak their native tongue are afraid to do so because they don't want to be mocked by their family
- Internalized racism led some of them to stop speaking their parents' tongue, but most of them regret today and are trying to make up for their mistake
- People from the newer generations who didn't have the chance to learn their parents' tongue are more keen to learn it on their own, using social media, online classes or by attending evening classes
So one could say that there's a form of resistance against racism that plays in the linguistic and cultural fields.
What prompted the creation of the special episode "Hors-série: Le racisme à l'intersection de deux générations," and what perspectives were explored in it?
I'm a big fan of the "Les enfants du bruit et de l'odeur" podcast and I always wanted to record an episode with someone a little older than me to make comparisons on today's and yesterday's racism. I wanted to see what were our common points, differences, what remained, what disappeared. That's what led to this episode.
We explored many perspectives, especially when it comes to racism towards children and I was surprised to hear that things weren't much different for primary schoolers in the 80s and 90s. Being a kid of color at these times was even harder, but it's still hard to this day and we have a responsibility to raise awareness on this topic to the new generation before they get the same permanent scars white supremacy gave us.
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS :
This Arab is Queer - edited by Elias Jahshan
The Good Immigrant - edited by Nikesh Shukla
All the White Friends I Couldn't Keep - Andre Henry
A Burst of Light - Audre Lorde
Dark Days - James Baldwin
All About Love - bell hooks
The Racial Contract - Charles W Mills
