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| Europe |
| Muslim Council Chief Lauds Sarkozy |
| 2007-05-09 |
| (AKI) - The head of France's Muslim Council Dalil Boubakeur is "satisified" by the victory on Sunday of conservative president-elect Nicolas Sarkozy, who Muslims should "put their faith in," he told Adnkronos International (AKI). "Like most people in France, we are happy to have a new president who is committed to maintaining public order and security and to improving the French economy," he said. The council was set up in 2002 as an official point of contact for France's five million Muslims. Sarkozy was interior minister at that time and counts the French Muslim council's creation as one of his achievements. Algerian-born Boubakeur, who is also rector of the main mosque in Paris added: "Muslims are also happy to have a president who will work to ensure employment opportunties for young people, eliminate discrimination and put an end to disorder and delinquency in poor areas." "According to the information in our possession, Muslims voted in more or less equal numbers for both candidates - Sarkozy and [Socialist contender Segolene] Royal in Sunday's run-off. Sarkozy "knows the Muslim community and its spokespeople very well and is in excellent relations with them," Boubakeur stated. Sarkozy's proposed "affirmative action" towards Muslims and changes to French law allowing the state to finance the construction of mosques, show he is not racist, Boubakeur argued. "Sarkozy acts in favour of Muslims," he said. The problems that Muslims experience in France have little to do with religion and are more connected the economic and social conditions of France's poor high-rise suburbs, according to Boubakeur. Measures are needed to tackle these issues - which do not only affect Muslim citizens - rather than policies aimed at Muslims, he said. Boukbakeur however urged Sarkozy to "honour his commitments, especially to increase job opportunities for young people." Increasing access to the jobs market is one of the main problems facing France, where youth unemployment is running at 25 percent or higher in some areas. To help Sarkozy in his promised push to integrate immigrants in France, Muslims must avoid shutting themselves off from the rest of French society within their own religious communities, Boubakeur concluded. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #8 Nicolas. be careful about shaking hands with these guys--you will have to count your fingers afterwards. Now that's al-Taqiyya. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2007-05-09 16:20 |
| #7 France's five million Muslims That number right there is the problem. The critical mass of evil morons has been exceeded. |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2007-05-09 16:05 |
| #6 Now that's taqiyya Yep, that's some damn fine taqiyya. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2007-05-09 13:37 |
| #5 "According to the information in our possession, Muslims voted in more or less equal numbers for both candidates - Sarkozy and [Socialist contender Segolene] Royal in Sunday's run-off. Now that's taqiyya. |
| Posted by: mrp 2007-05-09 08:49 |
| #4 True, 1904, but...uh oh: those newly working Muslims might have to work for a-gasp-WOMAN! Oh horror, females and males mixing in the workplace, Muslim men forced to take direction from female Catholic bosses with intact genitalia, the sky is falling, Allah cries... :) |
| Posted by: Jules 2007-05-09 08:45 |
| #3 The Muslims had a choice between Sarkozy and a woman. |
| Posted by: Angaiger Tojo1904 2007-05-09 07:59 |
| #2 Boubakeurs is or try to look like the moderate face of Muslims. No calls to shariah, to wopmen of veiling and AFAIK has no public links with our friends the Saudis. |
| Posted by: JFM 2007-05-09 05:29 |
| #1 Kiss-butt has always been used as taqiyah, by Muslims. |
| Posted by: Sneaze 2007-05-09 01:56 |