A Burning Issue
A Burning Issue
February 22–24, 2011
Readers were stunned to see me prominently feature, on my website, links to videos with various speakers—including figures from the far right—under the title
"« Without Comment »
I removed the link to this video when it was paired with a propaganda link promoting Marine Le Pen’s candidacy, leading to her official website.
My goal is to provide information, not political propaganda.
I had also included a link to a second video:
****["Did You Know?"]( Titre : a burning issue Readers were stunned to see me prominently feature, on my website, links to videos with various speakers—including figures from the far right—under the title « Without Comment ». I hasten to clarify that this inclusion in no way implies my endorsement of the political or journalistic positions of these individuals, nor does it mean I blindly trust the images presented, which could have been selected for manipulative purposes. Let's say it's a way of addressing a topic as hot and undeniable as this one, which deserves reflection. Let's begin by presenting two typical reactions, drawn from the various messages I've received in recent days, representing viewpoints one might consider opposing, expressed, it seems, with sincerity: Reader 1: Hello, I carefully watched the video on Muslims in France. First, Eric Zemmour, a controversial commentator who frequently appears on Ruquier’s show—of course, Jewish by origin—was recently sentenced a few days ago for inciting racial hatred after stating live on television that most prison inmates were either Black or Arab. Whether he was right or wrong is irrelevant; the court found him guilty. (See: http://www.letelegramme.com/ig/generales/france-monde/france/provocation-a-la-haine-raciale-eric-zemmour-a-nouveau-condamne-19-02-2011-1211961.php ) Next, the editing of this video is clearly designed to instill fear. Of course, we can't deny that problems and excesses exist—but ATTENTION, what is the real situation? Could we be manipulated too? What do the actual figures say? It's interesting to consult the Wikipedia page: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_en_France We learn, for example, that approximately 3,600 people convert to Islam in France each year, a figure that has remained fairly stable for several years. So, roughly 4,000 people per year, meaning that in 10 years there would be about 40,000 more people converted to Islam in France, and in 100 years, 400,000 to 500,000, assuming the same rate, for a population of 80 to 100 million—this isn't enormous. But if we also look at the number of people converting to Catholicism in France, we find figures between 2,500 and 3,000 per year. So the net gain for Muslim converts is only about 1,000 per year. Moreover, many French Muslim women convert to Catholicism every year—a fact I didn't know. In short, we are still far from a massive conversion of French people to Islam. In France, the Muslim population is estimated at around 3 million people, but Marine Le Pen and other politicians often speak of 8 or even 10 million people, claiming this would represent 10% of the French population. If we split the difference, maybe it's 5 million at most, so perhaps in 100 years we'd reach 10 or 15% of the population. But remember, among the 3 million Muslims, not all are practicing, and among practicing Muslims, only a small percentage are extremists. Given that the population will grow in 100 years, if France has 100 million people and 10 or 15 million Muslims, that's not negligible, but it's still not a majority—and by then... Regarding mosques, attention must also be paid: there have been mosques in France for hundreds, even thousands of years. For many years, however, they operated clandestinely: in basements of buildings, underground parking lots, gyms, or abandoned factories, etc. The construction of mosques merely brings to light a de facto situation that had remained invisible until now. It would also be interesting to see whether Saudi Arabia shows the same tolerance for church construction. We might also wonder whether granting building permits for such establishments—something that frightens many French people—ultimately serves the interests of the right, and thus the far right. We note that many mosques have been built since Sarkozy’s arrival—curious, isn't it? Finally, we must not forget that without immigration from North Africa, France’s birth rate would be deficient, and we’d have an aging population. Yet France actually has one of the highest birth rates in Europe. The real issue is inequality and the distribution of wealth, since we know that Islamists often recruit from the poorest communities. I therefore fear we may soon face a North-South conflict: the poor who have nothing left to eat or lose, against the large, overweight Westerners, all set against the backdrop of religious wars. Reader 2 _____________________________ Hello, I agree there is a serious risk in sharing such a video. I’d say there are two risks: - becoming a target of extremists - risking a lawsuit? Although you’re merely sharing a video. Regarding the comments from the other reader, I’d say this: 1/ Eric Zemmour was wrongly convicted; he only stated a truth, and his trial provoked widespread outrage among journalists, who rightly believe we can no longer speak truths if they aren’t “politically correct.” They rushed to convict him, while Dieudonné, who regularly attacks Jews, has always escaped punishment when facing our justice system. 2/ The conversion rate isn’t the real problem—the real problem is the indoctrination and instrumentalization of Islam. Do we know what happens inside mosques? Will we accept that streets are blocked several times a day for prayer? 3/ Your correspondent is wrong; the real statistics aren’t disclosed to avoid alarming the population. There may be 8 to 10 million Muslims in France, including all origins—North Africa, Middle East, Africa. 4/ Bringing illiterate immigrants or potentially extremist Muslims into France won’t help with population renewal. On the contrary, we can clearly see how cultural standards are being lowered and how our values are deteriorating. 5/ The Muslim population doubles on average every ten years! In Algeria, there were 8 million Muslims in 1962; in 2010, there are over 40 million! In Egypt, in the 1970s, there were only about 20 million; today, there are over 80 million! Consequences: French income will keep decreasing, and taxes and employer charges will keep rising, as we must fund family allowances, healthcare, housing aid, unemployment, etc. Consider the issue of "beurs" and their refusal to integrate. They want France to become Islamic so that Sharia can be applied. Can we rely on immigration to generate new wealth, create industries, or raise the intellectual level of our population? I don’t think so. Moreover, the descendants of immigrants lack proper reference points. No need to remind you of the fires, stone-throwing at buses and fire trucks, uprisings, etc. How can we explain that 70% of the prison population is Black or Muslim, while they represent only 10% of the population? This is primarily a cultural issue. We’ve never had such problems with immigrants from Europe or Asia, have we? I’ll stop here, as I don’t want to appear racist. There are books to be written on this subject—I’m only sharing my opinion on a burning issue.
It seems the first step should be a factual assessment. Among other things:
- The figures cited are frankly different. Do we have a way to uncover reliable data?
- We speak of public prayers in the streets. Is this a systematic, weekly, or occasional behavior?
- What behaviors legally violate the French republican law and constitution?
- Is there a genuine rise of Islam in France?
February 24, 2011
I removed the video that incited voting for Marine Le Pen and was constructed around selected, carefully chosen clips, whose selection could have been manipulative. I searched, which required some effort, for the original video sources. One of them corresponds to an investigation conducted by the group
investigation led by the group’s leader, John Paul Lepers, who does not, at first glance, appear to be a spokesperson for the French far right. He investigated "all forms of extremism," attempting to reaffirm France’s status as a fundamentally secular state.
- This is a tricky subject to discuss religion
Soon after, a reader provided me with the addresses for the four parts of John Paul Lepers’ investigation, which I find honest and well-conducted. It presents diametrically opposed trends. There are the very alarming statements made by Rashid Ghassen, who is no ordinary figure but the treasurer of the Abu Baber Mosque in Roubaix, at the beginning of the investigation, contrasting with those of Imam Tarek Obrouk, who presents Islam as a religion that has successfully adapted to every country it has settled in and must therefore, in his view, respect French laws. He personally insists on identifying himself first and foremost as French.
John Paul Lepers’ investigation:
Here is the segment of the interview taking place at the Roubaix mosque. Lepers is facing Rachid Ghassen, the treasurer.
John Paul Lepers facing Rachid Ghassen, treasurer of the Roubaix mosque
Another view of a room on the first floor of the Roubaix mosque
His interlocutor, Rachid Ghassen, treasurer of the mosque, begins by telling him, "You haven’t read the Quran correctly; otherwise, you’d already be Muslim. It’s impossible otherwise." Later, he says:
Rachid Ghassen, treasurer of the Roubaix mosque
- Stoning? In a Muslim country, I say "yes." It’s a divine law.
Same goes for amputating the hands and feet of a thief, which also corresponds to this divine law.
When Lepers tells Ghassen that Muslims are already the majority in Roubaix, an economically depressed city, and adds, "Suppose one day the French population becomes overwhelmingly Muslim—then France would become a Muslim country where Sharia would have to be applied?"—the other immediately agrees. And Lepers says, "You scare me." Ghassen replies with a big smile, "You shouldn’t!"
There are laws condemning incitement to racial hatred. Could such statements not fall under a law condemning advocacy for practices we might label "anti-humanist" or simply "inhuman"? Yet, for this individual, stoning and amputating limbs are part of what he perceives as "Islamic humanity."
Thus, there are places of gathering, places of worship, in France, where such statements are made calmly and openly, with intense proselytizing. Islam is not just a spiritual journey. It is also a social model, with its own law, Sharia. It is difficult to claim to be Muslim while immediately rejecting one of the pillars of this faith.
The investigation covers many aspects. In one mosque, Lepers is told the Quran is only intelligible in Arabic, and that to offer any commentary, one must first learn Arabic. Elsewhere, he visits a large annual fair dedicated to Islam, where he interviews a visitor wearing a full veil.
She tells him that, according to her interpretation of the Prophet’s words—“let women lower their veils”—she is merely obeying this command. At the end of the report, Imam Tarek Obrouk, questioned on this, replies that this woman is wrong. Lepers then offers his hand, saying he would like to shake hands with a French citizen. She immediately refuses.
In one of the four parts, Lepers visits the Christian fundamentalists, the "Lefèvristes," a reference to Bishop Lefevre, who defied Vatican directives by deciding that priests he ordained would continue wearing cassocks and celebrating Mass in Latin. For a long time, they were excluded from the Roman Catholic Church. But the current Pope, Benedict XVI, recently readmitted them. This time, he is received violently by the Lefèvriste militants.
The priest (in cassock): "Get in your car and get out of here!"
I have not yet reported on my brief stay in Egypt (during the time of the demonstrations in Cairo), from which I can only draw very fragmented impressions, preventing me from producing an analysis of Egypt, which is otherwise heavily manipulated by Western powers, such as the United States and France. Before focusing on passing images, one should review Egypt’s history and analyze its current situation, centering on its economy. Who owns what? Who supports whom, and why? How does Egypt "function"? On this point, the recent statement by Michèle Alliot-Marie in the National Assembly, proposing to send French security reinforcements to Ben Ali—units long known for their professionalism and effectiveness—is quite revealing.
That said, it still feels strange to find an Arabic version of Mein Kampf for sale by a street bookseller in the heart of Cairo. We stayed a few kilometers from the tomb of Queen Hatshepsut, where in 1997 Egyptian extremists cold-bloodedly massacred, after gathering them, sixty French and Swiss tourists—first with gunfire, then with knives when they ran out of ammunition.
In Egypt, one learns that female genital mutilation (removal of the clitoris in girls aged 6–7) remains a common practice, even though it has recently been made illegal. Another investigation to conduct. That said, this practice, established in these countries long before Islam’s arrival, is not linked to Islam but serves other purposes. See the link. One reads:
Countries where the vast majority of women are circumcised—over 85%: Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan.
Readers send me document after document, going in opposite directions. One sent me quotes from de Gaulle. Of course, upon receiving such a message, one is immediately tempted to think it’s a fake or a montage designed to stir the pot. But a search for the authenticity of such statements, which I leave you to discover:
http://fr.wikiquote.org/wiki/Charles_de_Gaulle#Citations_rapport.C3.A9es
To be continued