Omar Youssef Souleimane: «The French language has become my homeland»»

A defender of universalism, the Syrian writer who has taken refuge in the land of Voltaire and Molière pleads for reason against identity-based excesses. On Thursday in Geneva, he will present his book The accomplices of evil documenting the anti-Semitism of France insoumise.

Poet, novelist and essayist Omar Youssef Souleimane fled Syria for France, where he now writes in a language that has become his «homeland». A keen observer of ideological divides, he criticizes the blindness of a large part of the left in the face of Islamism, and defends a liberalism based on equality before the law. Interview a few days before his conference in Geneva*.

Le Regard LibreYou write in the foreword to your book that France is «the land of freedom of expression». What can you say about the current climate of intellectual tolerance in this country?

Omar Youssef Souleimane: You have to distinguish between French law, which allows freedom of expression, and society. I'm not censored by the State, but all those who criticize me on the far left talk about my Syrian origins, not about the substance of what I say. I'm branded a ’token Arab«, even though equality is supposed to be a pillar of the left. I cross-checked evidence of anti-Semitism by infiltrating demonstrations and drew conclusions. Let them oppose my work with arguments instead of attacking me.

In a context so tense over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, is your book really useful? Aren't you preaching to the choir?

I think I can convince people, although it is indeed difficult. Fear has set in and is on the rise. The people whose rhetoric I criticize are increasingly defending emotions, not ideas. In France today, if you don't defend the extreme left, you're accused of stirring up the extreme right. If you appear on a media outlet like CNEWS or Europe 1, you'll be seen as a useful idiot taken in by an alliance of billionaires and reactionaries.

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That said, I've received thousands of messages since the book came out, particularly from young people who are interested in finding out more about the subject. Unfortunately, I think they're in the minority. But that can change.

In the meantime, the Iranian uprising has added a new dimension to the issues you describe. As in Switzerland, was the French public service slow to describe what was happening, i.e. a struggle against Islamist power?

Yes, totally. If, on the first day, the events could be described as a revolt against purchasing power, the very next day everything shifted to a political commitment aimed at overthrowing the powers that be. In fact, this revolution is unique in that it is not against a traditional tyranny, but a religious one. Iran is one of the world's last theocracies, along with Afghanistan and, to a certain extent, Saudi Arabia. This is what has been most unsustainable about this blindness. If the Iranian revolution succeeds, it will signal the start of revolution throughout the region. While the Syrians succeeded in overthrowing Bashar al-Assad, but replaced him with Islamists, the Iranian people are rising up against both dictatorship and Islamism.

Iran is an exception in the Arab world, which is usually so ignorant of its non-Muslim past. The Iranians are an enlightened people, aware that they belong to 2000 years of history. Other Arab countries are out of touch with their distant past. They are also ignorant of Iranian culture. It's striking that the far-left activists so active on behalf of the Palestinians are so silent on Iran. What really obsesses them is Israel. In this crisis, the Jewish state is not concerned, so why should they talk about it?

How do you think the current polarization around these issues, fueled by identitarianism and communitarianism, can be resolved?

Through commitment. On the one hand, we need to reveal the truth and conduct surveys. On the other, we need to fuel debate, with conferences and discussions with young people. The allegiance that can save us is to the universalist value of reason.

When did French become the language of your dreams?

When I discovered the work of French author and poet Christian Boban. His writing is of a rare finesse. What has mainly motivated my work since 2016 is the loss of my country of origin, my family and my friends. The French language has become my homeland. It means a lot to me. It's the language of the universal, of human rights and freedom.

Liberalism appears on the very last page of your book. What meaning do you give to this, as a self-identified leftist?

In my opinion, liberalism is the best system for welcoming newcomers to a country and integrating them. I've experienced this myself. Quite simply, liberalism enshrines equality before the law, contrary to what many on the left claim.

Graduate in philosophy and journalist by profession, Jonas Follonier is the founder and editor-in-chief of the Regard Libre. Write to the author: jonas.follonier@leregardlibre.com

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*Omar Youssef Souleimane will present his book The accomplices of evil Thursday February 12, 2026 at 7:00 pm at the Beit Yossef Girsa school in Geneva. Hosted by journalist Laetitia Guinand, followed by an aperitif. Last places available: e.chettrit@beityossefgirsa.ch

Omar Youssef Souleimane
The accomplices of evil
Plon
October 2025
208 pages

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