A Burning Issue
February 22–24, 2011
Some readers were shocked 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 that video when it was paired with a propaganda link for the National Front candidate, which directed to her website.
My goal is to provide information, not political propaganda.
I also included a link to a second video:
"Did You Know?
Additional Information:
List of Mosques in France
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_de_mosqu%C3%A9es_de_France
Excerpt from:
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_en_France
Studies show a shift in religious practice: According to a 2006 CSA-La Vie survey, 49% of Muslims surveyed never attend the mosque, while 88% observe Ramadan fasting, prayers, or charitable practices—up from 60% in 1989.
Three major organizations exist: the Grand Mosque of Paris, the Rassemblement des musulmans de France, and the Union des organisations islamiques de France.
At least 2,100 mosques are counted in France. In 1985, there were around 900, and only 5 in 1965. According to Le Monde, construction of large mosques is accelerating, with projects underway in several major French cities. The oldest French Muslim school is located on the island of Réunion.
Two Muslim colleges exist—one in Aubervilliers (École de la réussite) and another in Décines, near Lyon (collège-lycée Al Kindi). A new high school has also opened in Lille, the Lycée Averroès.
The 1905 law of separation means public schools cannot be confessional. Parents wishing their children to attend religious schools must therefore enroll them in private institutions.
Of the approximately 2,100 imams in the country, 75% are not French, and a third do not speak French.
This has provoked numerous reactions from my readers, and I see that it has provided an opportunity to discuss a topic that is both highly sensitive and undeniable, and that deserves reflection.
Let’s begin by presenting two typical reactions, drawn from the various messages I’ve received recently, representing viewpoints that could be considered opposing, yet expressed, it seems, with sincerity:
Reader 1
Hello,
I carefully watched the video about Muslims in France.
First: Eric Zemmour, a controversial commentator, appears repeatedly in this video. He often appears on Ruquier’s show, of course of Jewish origin, who was recently convicted a few days ago for inciting racial hatred after stating live on TV that most prisoners were either Black or Arab. Whether he’s right or wrong is irrelevant—the court has condemned him. (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 designed to provoke fear. Of course, we cannot deny that problems and excesses exist—but what is the real situation? Could we not be manipulated? What do the actual statistics say?
It’s interesting to consult the Wikipedia page:
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_en_France
For example, we learn that around 3,600 people convert to Islam in France each year, a figure that has remained fairly stable for several years.
So, let’s say about 4,000 people per year—meaning in 10 years, there would be about 40,000 more converts to Islam in France, and in 100 years, 400,000 to 500,000—on the same basis, 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 each year—a fact I didn’t know.
In short, we are 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, which, according to them, would represent 10% of the French population.
If we split the pear in half, maybe it’s a maximum of 5 million—so perhaps in 100 years, it could reach 10 or 15% of the population.
But keep in mind that not all 3 million Muslims 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 not yet a majority, and by then…
Regarding mosques, attention should also be paid here: there have been mosques in France for hundreds of years, possibly even longer.
For many years, however, they were clandestine—located in basements of buildings, underground parking lots, gymnasiums, 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 toward church construction.
We might also ask whether issuing building permits for such establishments—something that somehow frightens many French people—might ultimately serve the interests of the right wing, 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 would 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 lose, against the overweight Westerners, all against the backdrop of religious wars.
Reader 2
Hello,
I agree there is a serious risk in sharing such a video. I would say there are two risks:
- Becoming a target of extremists—could one risk a lawsuit? Though you’re merely relaying a video.
Regarding the comments from the other reader, I would 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.”
He was quickly condemned, while Dieudonné, who regularly attacks Jews, has always escaped punishment when facing our justice system.
2/ The conversion rate isn’t the real issue—the real problem is the indoctrination and instrumentalization of Islam. Do we know what happens inside mosques?
Should we accept that every day, new streets are blocked multiple times daily for prayer?
3/ My correspondent is wrong—the real statistics aren’t disclosed to avoid frightening the population. There may be 8 to 10 million Muslims in France, including all origins—Maghreb, Middle East, Africa.
4/ Bringing illiterate immigrants or potentially extremist Muslims into France won’t help ensure population renewal. Instead, we clearly see how cultural standards are declining and our values 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/employer charges will rise as we must fund family allowances, social security, 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 create new wealth, develop industries, and raise the intellectual level of our population? I don’t think so.
Moreover, the descendants of immigrants lack reference points. No need to remind you of the fires, bus and fire truck attacks, riots, 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 fundamentally a cultural problem.
We’ve never had such issues 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.
I believe the first step should be a factual assessment. Among other things:
-
The figures cited are frankly different. Do we have the means to uncover reliable data?
-
We speak of public prayers in the streets. Is this a systematic, weekly, or occasional behavior?
-
What behaviors are legally in violation of the French republican law and constitution?
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Is there a real rise in Islam in France?
February 24, 2011
I removed the video that incited voting for Marine Le Pen and was constructed around selected, curated clips, whose choice could have been manipulative. I undertook the effort—requiring some work—to locate the original source videos. One of them was an investigation conducted by the group
led by John Paul Lepers, the group’s leader, who does not appear, at first glance, to be a spokesperson for the French far right. He investigated “all forms of extremism,” attempting to reaffirm France’s status as fundamentally secular.
- Discussing religion is a minefield.
Very quickly, a reader provided me with the addresses of the four parts of John Paul Lepers’ investigation, which I find honest and well-conducted. The perspectives presented are diametrically opposed. There are the deeply alarming words spoken by Rashid Ghassen, far from an ordinary figure, who is the treasurer of the Abu Baber Mosque in Roubaix, at the beginning of the investigation—contrasting sharply with the words of Imam Tarek Obrouk, who presents Islam as a religion that has successfully adapted to every country where it has taken root, and thus must, in his view, respect French laws. He himself insists on identifying first and foremost as French.
John Paul Lepers’ investigation:
Part 1/4
Part 2/4
Part 3/4
Part 4/4
Here is the segment of the interview taking place in 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 saying to 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.
The same applies to amputating the hands and feet of a thief, which also corresponds to this divine law.
When Lepers tells Ghassen that Muslims are already a majority in Roubaix, a struggling industrial 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. Lepers responds: “You scare me.” And Ghassen replies with a big smile: “You shouldn’t!”
There are laws condemning incitement to racial hatred. Couldn’t such statements fall under a law condemning advocacy for practices one might label “anti-humanist” or simply “inhuman”? Yet for this individual, stoning, as well as amputating hands and feet, falls within what he perceives as “Islamic humanism.”
Thus, there are places of gathering and worship in France where such statements are made calmly and openly, with intense proselytizing. Islam is not merely a spiritual journey—it is also a social model, with its own law, Sharia. It is difficult to claim to be Muslim while rejecting one of the pillars of this faith.
The investigation covers many aspects. In one mosque, Lepers is told that the Quran is only intelligible in Arabic, and that to offer even the slightest 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 draw their veils down”—she is simply obeying this command. At the end of the report, Imam Tarek Obrouk, questioned on this, replies that this woman is wrong. Lepers then extends his hand, saying he would like to shake hands with a French citizen. She immediately refuses.
In one of the four parts, Lepers visits Christian fundamentalists, the “Lefèvristes,” a reference to Bishop Lefèvre, who refused Vatican mandates by deciding that priests he ordained would continue wearing cassocks and saying Mass in Latin. These groups were long excluded from the Roman Catholic Church. But the current Pope, Benedict XVI, recently reintegrated them. This time, Lepers is violently received by 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 when demonstrations were taking place 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 revisit 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 at the National Assembly, proposing to send French security units—long known for their professionalism and effectiveness—to Ben Ali, is quite revealing.
That said, it still feels strange to find an Arabic version of Mein Kampf offered for sale by a street bookseller in the heart of Cairo. We stayed just a few kilometers from the tomb of Queen Hatshepsut, where in 1997 Egyptian extremists cold-bloodedly massacred, after gathering them, 60 French and Swiss tourists—first with bullets, then with knives when their ammunition ran out.
In Egypt, one learns that female genital mutilation (removal of the clitoris in girls aged 6–7) remains common, even though it has recently been made illegal. Another investigation to conduct. However, this practice, established in these countries long before the arrival of Islam, is not linked to Islam but reflects other motives. 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 forgery or a montage meant 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
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