In an article last week I argued that "France has not neglected its sizable Muslim minority," and then detailed some official efforts to accommodate and pacify that minority. That is true, but it does not of course mean that racism does not exist in France, or that the French citizenry has in general been welcoming of the immigrants. The fundamental error of the mainstream media on this score, however, has been to take the beastliness of the French, sometimes wildly overstated, as the sole ignition for the riots, and to ignore or downplay the Islamic element of those riots.
Here is a piece from the TimesOnline (thanks to JE) that puts both the non-assimilation of the immigrants and the Islamic element in perspective. I don't think the French are solely responsible for this non-assimilation, since many Muslim immigrants have opposed it as well (such as the highly vocal Dyab Abou Jahjah of the Arab European League), but the points made here about "shamefully irresponsible immigration policies" are well taken -- as is the point about the response of Muslims to frustration, whether or not that frustration really is the fault of Westerners. As I explained in Islam Unveiled, the historical pattern in the Islamic world has been to reassert Islam at times of crisis and failure. That dynamic plays a role in what we are seeing in France.
What surprised us was the animosity that people in the village felt for the Arabs, as they called them when they didn’t use worse words. Nobody talked to them or played with their children. I think ours were the only children in the main square who did. In every shop there would be angry mutterings among indigenous people about them and us — how they were parasites, thieves and ignorant; they wouldn’t even have their children inoculated. You had to lock your doors. And there were so many of them.Whatever righteous attitudes we tried to strike, we too became angry when our house was burgled. We had to start locking our door and our car wheels were slashed. Worst of all the benign neglect we had enjoyed for so long — nobody can accuse the French of being excessively welcoming even to white foreigners — changed subtly into something faintly unfriendly. It was as if the locals were suddenly sick of all foreigners, inoculated or not, of the changes they bring and the threats they represent to a nation undergoing a crisis of confidence. Then we began to hear of attacks on local synagogues, usually downplayed. Finally a synagogue in Montpellier was firebombed. We were glad to be out of there.
There is nothing new about the rage and resentment that have set France alight. Our part of France had been Le Pen country for years. La Haine, the celebrated film about a French ghetto just like those which have been ablaze for days, was made in 1995, 10 years ago. So it is odd that it has taken the French so long to wake up to the alarming failure of their much vaunted un-Anglo-Saxon society to accommodate its Muslims.
Perhaps it is unfair to single out the French. The multicultural social model has not worked either and all European countries have been unforgivably slow on the uptake. The riots have spread to Denmark, Belgium and Holland; we have already had riots in England and bombings in Madrid and London.
It is perhaps pointless to look back at the shamefully irresponsible immigration policies that have brought so many European countries to this explosive point. It is pointless to wonder how anyone in authority could have imagined that it would be a good idea to dump enormous numbers of poorly educated Third World immigrants from different societies into unprepared and unwilling, sometimes racist, European host cultures, into hellish high-rise suburbs from Seville to Rotterdam, in numbers so huge that integration became ever more unlikely and ghettos more inevitable. It is done now.
However, we might at least recognise the problem. As usual a great many people are deliberately avoiding it, in particular by editing the word Muslim out of their debates, as if Islam had nothing to do with the dangerous mood sweeping Europe. Poverty and rejection have played a significant part, but there is an unmistakable sense in which the riots are Muslim, consciously so.
Muslims vary and their beliefs vary. But the response of some Muslims to frustration — whether or not the fault of westerners — has been to retreat into more extreme forms of Islam and into the arms of fundamentalists. Yet although we know this, and despite the Salman Rushdie affair, despite the bombs and assassinations that led up to 9/11, despite the recent atrocities, we seem unwilling to recognise that what this can mean is deliberate separatism — apartheid.
Islam in the European ghetto can mean an unwillingness to integrate at all, a desire to practise the faith with as little interference from the geographical host country as possible. An internal security agency in France reported in 2004 that there were 300 communities across the country — roughly the number that rioted — which were “in retreat”, meaning communities marked by fundamentalism, anti-semitism and violence, coupled with hatred of France and the West. It is hardly surprising that there were effective no-go areas normally avoided by police in some of the French riot areas.
Even when Islamism does not aim at anything so extreme as striving for an Islamic caliphate in Europe, it can mean trying to impose Islamic practice and law. According to Amir Taheri, the Muslim writer, some French Muslims are calling for local religious autonomy, as in the Ottoman empire, and it already exists in some parts of France where radicals have imposed Islamic dress, chased away French shopkeepers selling alcohol and pork and shut down “places of sin” such as cinemas.
Even more startlingly, in Canada this year the Islamic Institute of Civil Justice proposed that sharia should take precedence over Canadian law in civil disputes between Muslims. There are sharia courts and councils operating informally in Britain. If Europeans lack the conviction to stand against apartheid and for integration, perhaps before long there will be one in our old village in France.
In other news in today's London Times, it appears that her majesty is also a target for the 'Wrath of Kaliphate'
Her stance against Islam has been noted:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1869849,00.html
and she is free to choose Islam, war or dhimmitude.
If her stupid son has any influence, the third option is the most likely.
I am sick and tired of excuses for violence! Jews were and are treated the same as Muslims, but we don't riot and destroy. Instead we try to acculturate to the prevailing society. We also withdraw into excessive (imo) religiosity. This poses no danger to anyone.
Poor, you want poor, my father (growing up in Poland) never knew if there would be food on the table from one day to the next. instead of becoming a criminal he worked hard to get an education and do better for himself.
Is it a Western vs North African mindset? I was once friendly with a Moroccan Jewish woman, her children were totally undisciplined, came into anyones house without permission, threw stones at passing cars for fun, etc. So perhaps a lot of the problem is cultural rather than religious. That being said, were my friends children an exception? Do North African Jews in Israel riot and destroy property? What about North African Jews in the U.S? I don't recall reading about them causing riots?
regarding daniel 2: 31-45:
as stated in the book of daniel chapter 2, verse 43, the ideologies of islam and western freedom will never harmonize. lack of harmony means constant discord and wrangling. verse 41 says this coming kingdom that we are seeing formed right now, will be a divided kingdom, part of iron (rome) and part of clay (islam). the kingdom will be "partly strong and partly brittle and broken." it seems to me that islam is always brittle (easily offended) and broken (fraught with divisiveness and arguement) and afflicted with disunity and sectarianism.
so i just encourage everyone to not get too depressed about islam's merging with free nations. it is part of the formation of the feet and toes of the statue in king nebuchadnezzar's dream which daniel interpreted. islam will succeed in carving out it's own niche in free countries worldwide, but westerners can and will also remain intact in our western cultures but in a mixed setting with islam, although sharing and inhabiting the same geographical areas. by the same token, freedom is also making inroads into the lands of islam. this chaotic integration is the order of the day.
so this is a melting pot of global proportions but the ingredients of islam and freedom will not merge or come to agreement but will exist apart and segregated but in the same demographic area.
this "apartheid" type of integration will complete and then we will see a kingdom of ten regions form, with a king over each. these are the ten toes of the statue, still of mixed consistency and brittle.
when antichrist appears, these ten kings will give their power to antichrist. antichrist will make a 7 year truce with israel but break it after 3.5 years, at which time it will be open season on jews and christians, and those killing christians and jews will think they are doing "god" a service, similar to islam now.
then jesus christ returns and rules the earth and establishes a kingdom that will not pass away. please believe on jesus christ today and accept him by faith.
eneri writes:
"Is it a Western vs North African mindset? I was once friendly with a Moroccan Jewish woman, her children were totally undisciplined, came into anyones house without permission, threw stones at passing cars for fun, etc."
Well, as you said, Jews tend to assimilate the
majority culture. I know quite a few Jewish people well, well enough for them to feel comfortable about voicing their prejudices, and
I've definitely noticed among Israelis and even
American Jews familiar with Israelis that Moroccan Jews are considered as the "white trash" of the Jewish world; uneducated, impolite, the
women inappropriately, etc.
Apologies in advance to any Moroccan Jews reading this, I'm just reporting what I've heard.
Yet the pompous bloated overbearing French still are embracing the cancerous idea that France (and to a lesser degree Germany) are rightfully the centers of gravity around which should gather the "other pole" that one which is in opposition not apposition with the US spheres of influence.
How dare these moronic arrogant clowns! How dare these stupic fatuous idiots -- I only hope the common European can see the utter folly of following the gasconades of France's leaders or Germany's leaders in ANYTHING that requires seriousness --
Machinery and toys from the Germans -- OK -- Cooking pots, food exports, and recipes from France -- OK -- but anything that requires an iota of maturity and sobriety should not be entrusted to them -- EVER!!! Not to these gloating falsifiers, these traitors --
French and German leadership are self deluded simple minded inanity spewing fools!
So far, from my reading, Le Pen seems just fine and dandy.
Le Pen, from an interview published in Haaretz Daily:
Can you understand the complaints in Israel about the "hypocritical" European reaction?
Le Pen: "Certainly. After all, I got a similar reaction during the war in Algeria, when I served in General Massu's 10th division. We were called upon to fight the terrorism of the FLN (the Algerian nationalist movement that fought against French colonialism). The intelligentsia at home criticized our actions. It's very easy to criticize from the armchair in the living room. I completely understand the State of Israel, which is seeking to defend its citizens."
Do you condone the Israeli action against the Iraqi nuclear reactor?
Le Pen: "Yes, of course. That was an act of prevention. True, it doesn't conform to international law, but in such a situation, there is no need to use it."
Le Pen was asked of his opinion on a variety of things:
The French Revolution - "A bloody calamity for the French people. This revolution spawned two dreadful bastards: Nazism and communism."
The skullcap - "The skullcap that Catholic priests wear? I don't have anything against the skullcap. It's a personal choice."
The Muslim veil - "It protects us from ugly women."
The Dreyfus Affair - "Dreyfus was exonerated and that concluded the affair. We should remember that among those who sided with Dreyfus at the time were people from the right, and that some from the left were among his opponents."
Collaborators with Hitler - "France was an occupied country. There were two kinds of collaborators: those who were forced by the Nazis to collaborate and those who viewed Hitler as the realization of anti-communist socialism. The latter were almost all leftists, by the way."
What is your definition of torture?
Le Pen: "I don't know. I would define it as `a series of violent acts that cause physical injury to individuals, actions that destroy the personality and leave traces.' Police and military interrogations do not fit this definition of torture. What's surprising is that the people who fought against torture here are the communists. And the communists are the ones who used to practice systematic mass torture in their own countries. The suffering caused by the terrorists is the real torture. The struggle against terrorists sometimes requires secrecy and it has its own rules. The enemy must not be allowed the advantage that permits him to plant bombs when and where he wants. In this struggle, everyone must carry his own burden."
Le Pen was asked about fascist elements alleged to have been in his party, the National Front:
Le Pen: “In [my party, the National Front], there was no mention of fascism or national-socialism. In my speeches, I always condemned communism, national-socialism and fascism. Incidentally, I define all of them as leftist movements that were spawned by the French Revolution. The only reason that our movement was pegged with the extremist label is because of our loyalty to the principle of `French Algeria' and our opposition to the policy of separation from Algeria, which De Gaulle instituted.”
Do you agree with Jacques Chirac's 1995 statement about France's responsibility for the crimes of the Vichy government?
Le Pen: "No. France was not responsible for this criminal policy. France was an occupied country, a country that surrendered and was left without the right to choose. Therefore, to be fair, you cannot say that it was a willing partner in this policy. On this I agree with De Gaulle [who viewed France as a `resistance country' - A.P.], and with practically all the French leaders aside from Jacques Chirac. I am sure that he made this statement for electoral reasons. It was a showy move designed to win sympathy in certain circles."
Which circles?
Le Pen: "In this case, Jewish circles. In a successful book that was published recently ["L'homme qui ne s'aimait pas" - "The Man Who Didn't Love Himself"], Eric Zemmour, a journalist from Le Figaro, quotes President Chirac as saying after his declaration of French responsibility for Vichy crimes: `I hope the Jews will stop pestering me from now on.'"
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=153419&sw=le+pen
This article is excellent.
Journalists are now asking the right questions and losing their fear of confronting islam.#
Some time ago I e mailed Minette Merrin with details of this web site and also faithfreedom.org
I also explained my story to her as an apostate.
To my surprise she replied and told me she would visit both sites.
Regards
AI
And, it should be reiterated that Spencer's Islam Unveiled remains, to my knowledge, untranslated into French due to threats to the publisher.
I just want to know why all the poor Jews, Budhists, Hindu's and Christians are not burning, rioting, assaulting, killing and maiming.
Why is it just the Muslims?
I don't blame the French for avoiding Muslims, but any isolation and ghettoizations of Muslims was largely self-imposed.
RE: French Racism
I have spent quite a bit of time in France. Traveling all over to dog shows and police canine trials. Staying for several months with wonderful, gracious friends that I have met thru our common love of dogs and training police dogs. During all the time I have spent there, I did not notice much racism. Classism, most definitely, but not much racism. For instance, there were many blacks, and inter-racial couples, that were well accepted at parties and events that I went to with my friends. But these blacks were polite, well dressed, well mannered, educated and cultured, they were not filthy ghetto thugs copping gang banger attitudes. It could be that fanatical dog lovers are a "breed apart" so to speak, and that there is more racism in France than what I saw, but I don't think so.
I think skin color there is not so much an issue as is a person's behavior and social status.
I know a lot of people think that France is getting what it has coming to it, and on one hand, I do too. The French government and media have been an ally to the muslim dictatorships and to communist dicatorships, and an enemy to the USA. But I keep thinking about all the wonderful things that will be lost if/when the muslims take over France and institute sharia.
One of the nicest things I enjoyed while I was over there was their National Music Festival which is celebrated in every town in the country. I was in a very old town named Senlis that day, and there were live bands on every street corner playing music from every corner of the world. My friends and I stopped at a sidewalk restaurant across the street from an 11th century church and ate snails, mussels and pate and drank a lovely bordeaux while listening to a band playing Metallica's "Enter Sandman". Surreal, yes, but also totally French.
All I can think of now, is that under sharia, all music is banned and there would be no more music festivals in France. And I am worried sick about what sharia would mean for all the dogs and the dog people in France. And I shudder to think of what will happen to the American graves at the memorial in Normandy or to that 11th century church in Senlis with it's glorious stained glass windows and gothic architecture.
I will surely offer my dog loving friends in France my home as a refuge to come to if need be. And though I am loathe to shed more American blood for a country whose government pisses away the sacrifice and then spits in our face every chance they get, I also know that we simply can't afford to let the muslim insurgents seize any of the numerous nuclear reactors in France, so I guess we will be forced to save them from themselves, again. Maybe the third time will be the charm.
If it comes to it, I can only hope that, before we go over there, on national TV our president will make Chirac get down on all fours and kiss his dusty cowboy boots, and beg for forgiveness and beg for American military intervention. (Bush and Chirac probably won't be in office by the time US military intervention might be required, nevertheless the image is incredibly satisfying!)
Before then though, it would warm my heart to see the French police make more use of their awesome police dogs on the muslim rioters/insurgents. Not very PC to spiritually terrorize them, but incredibly effective.
Questions we need to be asking are:
How thoroughly have islamists infiltrated the French military?
If things get out of hand and the French military can't handle it, will the French be stupid enough to ask their Arab League buddies for military aid to help stop the insurgency???? Presumably they would first ask the UN for peacekeepers, but that would amount to nearly the same thing as asking the Arab League, wouldn't it?
Or more importantly, will Chirac, or anyone in the French government for that matter, even call out the French military before the country is completely overrun?
American:
Yes, the Sephardim -- Jews of North Africa and Middle East -- are generally looked down upon in Israeli society and seen as the "unwashed" by Ashkenazim, but this slowly changing as members of that community are succeeding in business and politics. I'm a middle-aged Canadian Ashkenaz. There was a small wave of Jewish immigration from Morocco to Toronto when I was a schoolgirl, people fleeing the heightened persecution that followed Israel's establishment and successive wars of annihilation that failed. The families were of very modest means, but many of the children, my contemporaries, have become professionals and highly successful business people and the same is happening in Israel, where the Minister of Defence is Iraqi-born, the Premier is Iranian-born and the Minister of Foreign Affairs is Tunisian born.
A recent post on a BBCforum concerning causes and solutions to the Paris violence.
(It's clear that these people are not rioting for the sake of rioting, they are responding to oppression from French authorities.It's time for France to stop treating those poor, Muslim immigrants as second-class citizens. It's time to accept the only permanent solution - to partition France. It's time for an independent Muslim state to be created. Before this cycle of violence spreads throughout all of Europe, France needs to do the right thing.
Dim Rasp, Irkutsk Russia )
WHAT MORE CAN I SAY??!!!
The bin-donesians are at it again. Body parts are flying....