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| Europe | |||
| "You’ll have Muslims on one side, and everyone else on the other | |||
| 2004-02-13 | |||
| Young French Muslims in the Lyon suburb of Les Minguettes - which 20 years ago saw angry protest marches as Muslims fought for full French nationality - are again angry at what they see as continued exclusion. Already frustrated by poverty and what they perceive to be discrimination, their anger has been further increased by the French Parliament’s passing of a law banning headscarves and other religious symbols from schools. Did you ever get the feeling that you are not wanted? Why do you think that is? Some have even said that there is a risk French Muslims may choose to live in their own "state within a state".
I wonder what is going to happen then? Sarcasm off "You’ll have Muslims on one side, and everyone else on the other. "It will be like having a state within a state." Les Minguettes is home to 21,000 people of North African origin. It was the place where, in 1981, the first riots by a second generation of French immigrants took place. By 1984, large numbers of these people were marching, in the belief they would eventually become equal to the French. But today, many of them have effectively abandoned France, arguing that Islam is their home. "When young people work, they want to work in a firm with Muslims - so it’s happening a little already, this state within a state," Lokman said. "They know they’ll be given time to recite their prayers; they know that during Ramadan they’ll be able to go home a little earlier, because their boss is a Muslim, so he understands. If they had a choice, they would work with a Muslim." Another of the frustrated young Muslims in Les Minguettes is Sami Hamaclouf, a 22-year-old studying Arabic literature at the University of Lyon. Sami, who also works as a secretary for a halal meat wholesalers, said her headscarf had prevented her from working in many places. "I never even went looking for a job, because I was afraid of the refusals I would get because of my headscarf," she said. "You just don’t hire a veiled girl. So I work for Muslims. This discrimination has pushed me to stay among my community, even if Muslims are much-criticised for that. I’m no different to anyone else here in France, except my faith is in Islam." How nice. And you know what Islams objective is, surely? And still you wonder why? Lokman also said he had struggled to get a job because, although he dresses in Western clothes, he has a beard. "When I go for a job interview and the boss sees my beard, he’ll start wondering if I belong to an Islamic group," he said. "People do not understand many of the Islamic practices. For us, the beard is part of the Islamic code of dressing, as found in the Koran. It’s a way of covering the body, like the veil or headscarf for the woman." Hint: No one gives a sh*t Sami said she had started wearing the headscarf at 14, and that it was a "spiritual and religious choice" inspired by her older brother. "I think what really bothers people is that along with being Muslim, I am also totally French." Yeah sure. And you are also a Martian who is misunderstood. Ain’t life a bitch?
If you try hard you will learn somethig new to prove your idiocy everyday. However, in first year of wearing it, she was "straight away summoned to the headmaster’s office, and told to take off my headband and show off my hair," she recalled. "Then the headmaster started lecturing me about the Taleban and the oppression of women in Algeria. I didn’t know about any of this. I’d been brought up in France. Algeria was the country of my holidays. It was then that I realised people did not understand me, or my quest for my own identity." Which is to make everyonein the world understand that they must become muslims or die. Nothing wrong with that surely? Afterall it’s in the Koran. Many of the Muslims in Les Minguettes feel not enough has changed in 20 years. Their parents who marched 20 years ago to demand their rights sang a deeply ironic version of the classic French song Sweet France. The same concerns still appear to be there - prime among them, Sami said, that politicians "still take us for idiots". I wonder why? "They cleared themselves of responsibility by saying that they have Muslim friends. It looks nice, and it’s supposed to mean they understand us," she said. "But I ask them, ’do you listen to us, do you really understand us?’ No!" And you then go on to explain how you listen to others. You don’t. Why would that be? Not arrogance surely? However, she did concede that the Les Minguettes marches had produced a positive effect. Sami said that while first-generation Muslims had been afraid of being expelled, and so "kept their Muslim side hidden," young French Muslims now felt their fight was more "anchored."
As long as that means being Arab, of course | |||
| Posted by:tipper |
| #21 Damn, BH! Give a gal a drink alert, willya? :-p |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-2-13 9:41:27 PM |
| #20 [screw Santa Clause - the Internet is watching. ed] |
| Posted by: .com 2004-2-13 8:32:16 PM |
| #19 Sami, who also works as a secretary for a halal meat wholesalers, said her headscarf had prevented her from working in many places. "I never even went looking for a job, because I was afraid of the refusals I would get because of my headscarf," she said. "You just don’t hire a veiled girl. So I work for Muslims. - I didn't bother looking for a job, beacuse my friend told me that I was going to be the victim of discrimmination. She read it on the internet. Some website from the US. She said it was a poster with the initials NMM. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-2-13 5:31:01 PM |
| #18 BH, good one! |
| Posted by: Rafael 2004-2-13 4:23:46 PM |
| #17 #5 11A5S : Sounds pretty much like a description of a virus.... |
| Posted by: Carl in N.H 2004-2-13 4:04:23 PM |
| #16 Muslims to the left of me / Frenchies to the right / Here I am, stuck in the middle with Joooos |
| Posted by: BH 2004-2-13 2:55:41 PM |
| #15 comical when you realize Chirac has erased for himself 30 years of careful cultivating of cozy relations with Muslims. All of his crimes, who would have guessed that this is what would get him in the end. |
| Posted by: B 2004-2-13 2:41:25 PM |
| #14 11A5S - Tis perfect, bro -- I hope JFM sees this before he hits the sack - he'll certainly have some pithy thoughts! The Perfect Republic v5.0? Lol! So when d'ya think Ms. Sabine Herold will finally make an impact, beyond being a novelty? They need a large dose of reality - fast! |
| Posted by: .com 2004-2-13 2:14:26 PM |
| #13 Thank you .com |
| Posted by: 11A5S 2004-2-13 1:33:49 PM |
| #12 I hope some French officials are re-thinking that idea about how great it would be to have more muslim immigrants. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2004-2-13 1:18:37 PM |
| #11 State within a state? Isn't this what the muslims want? They dont want to be assimulated (sp?) but want everyone else to bow down to their customs -- look at what is happening in Thailand. And in Indoneasia they are burning churches. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-2-13 1:06:47 PM |
| #10 ... can beat her up. |
| Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2004-2-13 12:49:04 PM |
| #9 No wonder that cleric gave Chirac the thumbs up for banning the veil...now they have an excuse to make their sharia state within France. |
| Posted by: TS 2004-2-13 12:48:39 PM |
| #8 it was a "spiritual and religious choice" inspired by her older brother. ... inspired specifically by her observation that her older brother can beat up. |
| Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2004-2-13 12:48:05 PM |
| #7 11A5S - A dead-solid-perfect summation. Awesome! JFM - This should be carved verbatim on the Fifth Republic's tombstone. I'm sure the Sixth Republic will look quite different... all those white thobes and packs of ninjas running around |
| Posted by: .com 2004-2-13 12:39:25 PM |
| #6 "It was then that I realised people did not understand me, or my quest for my own identity." Sorry folks, but this whole headscarf issue begins to sound like the lament of any other teenager in every other part of the world. I'm having a hard time seeing how this is any different from some kid in America being told she can't wear her nose ring or bare her midriff in school. I realize what makes this different is that you have adult men blowing themselves and others to smithereens over such issues, but really now, that's the only difference I see. Granted, that's a big difference, but still... Which makes it even more comical when you realize Chirac has erased for himself 30 years of careful cultivating of cozy relations with Muslims. All over a bunch of teenage girls seeking their own identity by dressing like everybody else in their little clique. |
| Posted by: mva30 2004-2-13 12:32:09 PM |
| #5 A failed civilization and a failed culture coupled with a holy book that is manual for successfully infiltrating a fractured society, taking it over, and using it as a base for rapid expansion and cultural domination. Throw in Leninist agitprop (the many Saudi-funded dawa efforts), indoctrination (madrassahs), and cell structure and you have something that is short lived, violent, and very dangerous before it collapses in on itself. |
| Posted by: 11A5S 2004-2-13 12:23:56 PM |
| #4 very very simple and easy solution for these filthy parasites, they just move back to where they came from. yes as easy as that. |
| Posted by: Jon Shep U.K 2004-2-13 11:47:03 AM |
| #3 yeah..well how are they going to pay for those schools when all the Saudi money for Madrassas dries up?? |
| Posted by: B 2004-2-13 10:50:05 AM |
| #2 Ghettos. Great idea, guys. Worked so well for the Jews. |
| Posted by: mojo 2004-2-13 10:30:48 AM |
| #1 French Muslims fear ’state within state’ They 'fear' no such thing. They are beginning their push for separatism. Some have even said that there is a risk French Muslims may choose to live in their own "state within a state". There it is right there. Good luck, Phrawnce. They are going to nibble and nibble until there's nothing left of you. |
| Posted by: BH 2004-2-13 10:25:57 AM |