Being french I'll agree to you partly, both left and right culture people see the burka as a very bad thing although most of us don't want muslims out.

Reason is that many muslims have lived in France for generations. Some of them are now very french many are not very faithful and look more and more like the typical french. So we get to know each other and appreciate each other. Some, I won't argue, I'd like to deport, although I believe all the system does is making the relationship worst by the day.

I don't know for my fellow citizen but I'm more focused on the system than on its symptoms..

As to cultural heritage, we have to be fiercely protective of it because it's basically all we have left. We're not a voice in the diplomatic world, we don't have a powerful army and could not protect ourselves against China, Russia and USA, we lost every piece of control of the country to E.U, politician are a mess, freedom is over, media is a tenth of what is was 40 years ago, education system is a mess, we're broke, almost no more industry, we won't even produce our own clothes...

I could go forever... All this to say we can't spare what we were or we're nothing anymore, I guess every french see that even if they don't realize it.

My 2 cents