Mosque Attack in France

It is becoming difficult to give you news about the situation in France. Apart from a minor incident involving a mosque, the media have lost interest or are complying with censorship recommendations from their editors who fear that the public would turn to the “extreme-right” if it receives correct information. Perhaps our attempt to provide information qualifies us as “extreme-right” too. To avoid legal problems our lawyers advise us to put up a warning:

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In the sixteenth consecutive night of violence in France, 502 cars were set alight. Hundreds of molotov cocktails were thrown at policemen, cars and buildings, including a mosque in Carpentras in the south of the country. In Belgium’s sixth consecutive night of car torching, fifteen cars, including one truck and a bus, were damaged by fire – eight of them in Brussels. The situation in Denmark seems to be tense as well.

In both Paris and Brussels the authorities are nervous because islamist weblogs have called for demonstrations and violent protests today. The French authorities have banned all rallies and protests until Sunday evening. The Belgian authorities do not want the media to report about the weblogs. In Paris and Brussels the police are on the alert.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International has said it is “concerned” that the state of emergency in France “may lead to human rights violations” by the French police. Yesterday, one policeman was jailed and four were suspended because they had beaten up a 19-year old “youth” in a Paris suburb. The “youth” had just been released from custody for involvement in riots and had returned to taunt the officers. The beating incident was filmed by the television channel France 2. The channel is one of the French media outlets that does not want to broadcast acts of violence committed by “youths” for fear of copycat actions. The media devote a lot of attention to the beating incident. Apparently there is no fear that this will lead to copycat behaviour by frustrated policemen.

There is also considerable media attention for two molotov cocktails thrown at a mosque in the southern town of Carpentras. Though there was no material damage the French authorities have strongly condemned the attack. “This act of agression is as undignified as it is unacceptable,” Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said. President Chirac and Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, too, condemned the agression “with the greatest firmness” and expressed solidarity with the Muslim community of France.

Earlier this week two churches were set ablaze, but the French government did not express solidarity with the Christians of France. The Jewish community has also been advised to keep quiet about attacks on synagogues lest they attract the attention of copycats. After the attacks, the French authorities did not explicitly express solidarity with the Jews but advised them “not to publicize their fears, as such declarations could encourage rioters to attack Jews and Jewish community buildings.” Apparently, the media and the politicians are convinced that copycats are never Christians or Jews, but always Muslims. Doesn’t that attitude smack of racism?

Didn't the firebombing

Didn't the firebombing threaten to upset the truce declared by the rioters?

/BBC mode

Some liberals agree...

If I must categorize myself, I suppose I'm one of those nasty liberals, but as I've outlined here and here, I agree that Islam does have to do with the French riots and that the mainstream/left are kidding themselves that it doesn't.

Really?

I agree that Islam does have to do with the French riots and the mainstream/left are kidding themselves that it doesn't.

Are they? Could you point me towards articles or interviews where "mainstream/left" folk say the riots have nothing to do with Islam. Thanks.

Bob Doney

Suggest open your local newspaper...

...watch main news channels. At least here in North America (but including the BBC), news anchors and columnists are repeating like a mantra that "this is not about Islam". A Google search should help you find what you're looking for.

Individual commentators like Professor Juan Cole are representative of liberal views on the subject. Among bloggers, try here and here. Happy researching.

Liberals

Thanks for the references, Anne. This Professor Cole looks a real worm. He even dares to attack St Mark Steyn, and calls him an alien. Pah!

I watch the Beeb a lot, and honestly can't remember any anchor or commentator saying "this is not about Islam". On the website, the cross references to the French news are all about Islam.

You might find this article on the Beeb's website interesting. Personally I think it's important not to see "Islam" as a monolithic evil, and this article gives a taste of some of the problems "on the ground" in France.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4430244.stm

Bob Doney

knee-jerking

Bob, you are putting words in my mouth. While I happen to think Cole confuses the quite separate issues of race and religion in the particular post I linked in my previous comment, I find his knowledge and analysis of the Iraq war indispensible, and I link to him from my own site. My own post on the French riots (also linked above) was written from the perspective of having witnessed Canada's relatively affluent and reasonably integrated (but smaller) Muslim community almost succeed in garnering state recognition of the limited use of sharia law in the province of Ontario. I am questioning the possibility of "integration", yes. I don't claim to be doing more than questioning. Surely Islam is not a "monolithic evil", but by the same token you need not paint every commenter on this site with the same brush. I think that's called trolling.

In any event, we have strayed very far from Paul's original post. Regards.

Trolls

by the same token you need not paint every commenter on this site with the same brush. I think that's called trolling.

No, Anne, I don't think I have, and no, Anne, I don't think it is.

Bob Doney

Fear

Thanks to Brussels Journal for keeping us informed not only about what is happening in Belgium but also in Europe. Being an expatriote, it is difficult to keep informed, but now with your site I find myself better informed than my family living in Belgium.

Kaat:
It may be discrimination but it is deeply rooted in FEAR. So that discrimination is really capitulation!

Christian bashing part of a "positive" attitude?

Could some sociologist, political strategist, or mass psychologist explain me how this christian bashing fits into the "positive" attitude of the ethically progressive? I fail to see how the (failed) attack on the mosque in Carpantras diminuishes the seriousness of the nightly riots. Or am I missing something?!

Un Ami; Deux frères

Quite simple.

Attack a Mosque and who will you blame automatically in the current context ?
Enraged Muslim or Revengfull Infidel dogs ? Most people will find it strange that a Muslim would attempt to torch a Mosque therefor will select the Infidel Dog as the attacker.

Furthermore this deception fits very nicely as a deception. It is a provocative element which will enflame Moslims to riot even further. As they would probably blame the Infidel dog as well or blame the State for failing protection or forward the casus as proof of 'racism'.

It also automatically brings politicians back to a dhimmi status; they will be more inclined to accept the demands of rioters because they want to defuse the situation & become supreme defenders of those scumbags calling for a harsh repraisal towards those that attempted to burn the Mosque.

It does not diminish the seriousness of the nightly riots; exactly the opposite. Since now it is believed Mulsim youth attempted to torch it this could mean two things: A) Deception (as noted above) or B) Internal Dispute.
I wonder if that Mosque supported any actions against the rioting; if its Imam was strongly opposed to the rioting. I vaguely dare to remember something of a fatwa against the riots; did this Mosque support such Fatwa ?

Willockx

Interesting: the media attention for the car fire in Sint-Niklaas, started by 2 native Flemish men in their 30s.
Moving: Mayor Willockx' erection while lecturing how this is a lesson to those who point a finger at young immigrants. Subtly adding that this time it was "eigen volk"...

Freddy surprised us today

Freddy surprised us today when he agreed on the news (VTM at 1PM) that "tough sanctions" should be applied to the Belgians who allegedly set a car on fire in "his town". I never knew that Freddy secretively has always been in favor of such a "harde aanpak" against "eigen volk", but never claims the same retaliation before the cameras when it concerns "niet eigen volk"! Discrimination is the name for such behaviour. And I wonder if these Belgians wanted to celebrate 175 years of separatism from Holland? Did they attend perhaps the "Stupid of Portici" a few days before in Gent and did this event set their imagination on ablast? And which party these Belgians belong to, because that was left unmentioned in the news and by Freddy? Are they members of the SP.a-Spirit?