Shafaqna English- French cities are transformed during the holy month. Markets extend hours before iftar, mosques overflow with evening prayers, and communities organize collective meal distributions.
Islam represents France’s second-largest religion. According to recent INSEE data, approximately 10% of the population aged 18-59 identifies as Muslim – equivalent to roughly 6 to 7 million people in a country of about 69 million inhabitants.
This community, concentrated in major urban centers such as Paris, Lyon, Marseille, and Lille, maintains strong religious practices during Ramadan – often most visibly in working-class districts shaped by migration histories.
In areas like Barbès in Paris, once surrounded by bidonvilles and informal housing, Ramadan has long structured communal life, blending faith, survival, and neighborhood solidarity into a distinct urban rhythm.
Sources: Morocco World News