[Dawn] SO far, so predictable. The fire-bombing of the offices of a French satirical weekly after it printed a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad (PTUI!) has, once again, led to dire warnings that European Moslems are determined to destroy western civilisation, curb the fundamental right to free speech and impose the Sharia across the continent.Could have something to do with their propensity as a group to act uncivilized, to use gangster methods to suppress free speech, and to demand Sharia everywhere they go.
French politicians have been unanimous in defending freedom of speech and said perpetrators of the crime will be punished. French Moslems have been equally vocal in denouncing the attack -- but also clearly angry at what they view as yet another attempt to insult Islam and Moslems.
So they, as usual, "condemn the attack but understand the reaction of the Mooselimb in the rue." To understand all is to forgive all, as they say, so how can they be blamed for condoning acts of violence? After all, it's for their religion.
The head of the Gay Paree Mosque, Dalil Boubakeur, told a news conference on Thursday: "I am extremely attached to freedom of the press, even if the press is not always tender with Moslems, Islam or the Gay Paree Mosque. French Moslems have nothing to do with political Islam."
"Really. Trust me on that."
The weekly Charlie Hebdo has defended "the freedom to poke fun" and despite the attack, The very concept of "fun" is un-Islamic. I'm not convinced any publication in Pakistain has ever carried a picture of a person laughing. If they have it's doubtful that person was wearing a turban. Ponder the significance of that.
its four-page supplement has gone on sale, wrapped around copies of the left-wing French daily, Libération. The incident has unpleasant echoes of the controversy triggered by the publication of caricatures of the Prophet in a Danish newspaper in 2005.
Unpleasantly predictable, y'might say.
| Will Rage Boy go back on the protest march payroll? He used to be able to support a wife and children doing that, but pickings appear to have been slimmer lately, in these difficult times. It looks like it was only a few volunteers for that thing protesting the CIA Predators. |
There's no doubt the turban and automatic weapons set will be out there struttin' their stuff.
| No doubt. |
| And there will be plenty of xenophobic Muslims stoking right back at them, except when they get their responses in preemptively. The humiliation sellers will be busy as we head into the Christmas season. |
...23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. Sarkozy is married to singer-songwriter Carla Bruni, who has a really nice birthday suit...
by maintaining a steady flow of criticism of multiculturalism.
You'd think the way to combat that would be to make a few cogent and convincing arguments in favor of multiculturalism, but if you can't come up with any then it's more likely you'll just riot. It doesn't take as much brain power.
And La Belle France's six to seven million Moslems -- the largest number of Moslems in a European country -- will have to deal with a constant barrage of accusations that they are inherently 'un-European and un-French' and will never become trusted and true French citizens.
That'll likely touch off another spate of carbecues...| Honestly, it's not that hard to demonstrate Frenchness. Learn to speak the language well enough to demonstrate that you're trying. Wear the local clothing when you are out and about, and keep those comfortable things from home for when you're at home. Encourage your womenfolk to dress in a modest version of French styles -- for instance a longish skirt with boots, a turtleneck and a boxy blazer or a long cardigan, with a pretty scarf tied round the head, et voila'! And the multiple wives on welfare -- Frenchmen support their mistresses out of pocket, or they don't have them. Mohammed supported all his wives, too, so stop slacking. |
Is it possible to break this predictable, toxic and tedious cycle of recrimination and counter-recrimination, accusation and counter-accusation?
You could try not rioting sometime, but that'd just give the infidels the mistaken impression they can do as they please in what used to be their own country.
At first glance, the answer appears to be negative.
The riots are too deeply ingrained in the colonists' culture.
After all, Moslems are already in the dock in La Belle France and many other European countries for their apparent failure to integrate. Late last month, a French court nullified the construction permit for a mosque in the southern city of Marseille,
| Something about refusing to provide any architectural plans as I recall... |
By the way, what's the permitting procedure to get a new church built in Algiers? We know what it is to get one built in Mecca.
The Administrative Tribunal of Marseille ruled on Oct 27 that the mosque project would have to be cancelled because of failures to meet urban planning requirements. La Belle France, along with Belgium, has banned the burka although the garment is worn by a very small minority of Moslem women.
Now the minority will be even smaller, won't it?French -- and European -- concerns about Moslems in their midst have been aggravated by the success of the Islamist party in the recent Tunisian elections, the rising popularity of the Moslem Brüderbund in Egypt and Islamic trends within the new Libyan government.
The Voice of Sweet Reason hasn't exactly been drowning out the babble of savagery, has it?
Charlie Hebdo, known for its irreverent, harsh satire and mocking treatment of establishment and religious figures,
... whatcha might call a fairly equal-opportunity offender...
published the special edition in the wake of the victory of the Islamists in Tunisia. "For many French Moslems, religion has become a cultural identity, a refuge in a troubled society where they don't feel accepted," French journalist Pierre Haski wrote in the Guardian.
... the lack of acceptance having something to do with the religion...
"And when a satirical magazine makes fun of Islam the way it would make fun of any other issue, French Moslems don't laugh.
They never laugh, do they? I think I pointed that out earlier, didn't I?
Most of them are silently angry or indifferent, but a minority feels empowered to resort to violence. A disturbing reminder of the underground tensions in society," Haski said.
I don't follow the logic there. Why would they "feel empowered" to resort to violence? Where's the power come from? In civilized countries the citizen doesn't get "empowered" to firebomb anybody. So if it doesn't come from the law, and it doesn't come from culture, then it has to come from religion and from the foreign culture that the religion's anchored in.
It is important to note, however, that so far, no one has grabbed credit for the Charlie Hebdo attack. Luz, the cartoonist who drew the cover cartoon at the centre of the controversy, has said it is still unclear just who was behind the fire-bombing.Oh, well then. It could just as likely be Huguenots, still seething over the way they were treated. Or maybe it was itinerant Moriscos. Could even be Amish, assuming trans-Atlantic buggy travel. They've been shown to be a vicious bunch, cutting each other's beards off and such. It's a small step from that to firebombing French publications.
"Let's be cautious. There's every reason to believe it's the work of fundamentalists but it could just as well be the work of two drunks," he warned.
Miss Piggy once pointed out that all the evidence wasn't in yet as to whether a pound of cabbage was more fattening than a pound of chocolate mousse, so she was going to continue eating the mousse, thank you.
Are European Moslems condemned to live their lives on the defensive, their loyalty and citizenship in constant doubt because of the criminal acts of a small minority who dominate the national conversation about Islam?
If they're a small minority then somebody should slap them down. But since they're a small, violent minority nobody does.
Or can Europe and its Moslems develop a fresh narrative of acceptance, integration and inclusion?
I doubt it. Based on empirical observation, as the Moslem population grows, so also grows the level of violence directed at non-Moslems. At some point the Moslems decide to kill as many of the infidels as they can and treat the remainder like they were garbage. There effectively aren't any non-Moslems on the Arabian peninsula. In Egypt the Egyptian-speaking non-Moslem 10 percent of the population is systematically oppressed and excluded from public life, their women kidnapped, raped, and forcibly converted to the Master Religion. They can see that from Europe, you know.
In fact, the true story of Europe's Moslems is much more heartening and upbeat than either side in the debate is ready to admit.
Tell us about the true story in Egypt, too. I'm sure that's more heartening than anybody's ready to admit. And tell us about the Assyrian and Chaldean Christians in Iraq. How've they been doing? And what's the schedule for mass at Hagia Sophia? Is the early service still at 6 a.m. every Sunday?
Attacks such as the one on Charlie Hebdo may make the headlines, stirring trouble for the silent and law-abiding majority of Moslems who are happy to call Europe home. But fortunately such incidents are not the norm.
| They are, actually. Just not a daily occurrence, but even in Egypt and Pakistan such things are not a daily occurrence, merely a fact of life. How many European and British politicians now need bodyguards because of Muslim threats? |
The ghost of Merwig is nodding contentedly. He can remember when he and his Franks were emerging as full-fledged Roman citizens, ready to demand their rights, but also ready to fulfill their duties and obligations.It is true that efforts to ensure a better integration of European Moslems are complicated by Europe's own uncertainty about what it means to be 'European', the struggle between religion and secular beliefs and Europe's unease about its economic future, including fears about the impact of globalisation on European jobs. In such an environment, there is suspicion and unease about 'foreigners' -- Moslems, yes, but also Chinese, Indians and Russians. Europe needs the talent and abilities of all its citizens and of immigrants to climb out of the current economic downturn. And ordinary European Moslems just want to get on with their daily lives without being held to account for the lunatic and criminal acts of a small minority -- or perhaps of just one man.