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Posted on 01/19/2004 11:39:46 AM PST by Alouette
PARIS (Reuters) - France's drive to better integrate its five million Muslims looked shaken Monday after a weekend of protests against a looming ban on Islamic veils and a bomb attack on the car of a senior public official of Muslim origin.
The veiled schoolgirls chanting "Allahu Akbar" (God is greater) in marches across France and the bomb that destroyed the car of the newly appointed prefect for the eastern Jura area have cast doubt over the policy of winning support among moderate Muslims.
No link has been established, but commentators have already blamed the rising tensions unleashed by the veil debate for the attack against Aissa Dermouche, whose appointment was meant to show that Muslims can advance in French society.
While leading politicians vowed to defend the veil ban even more strongly, some legislators are asking whether banning all religious symbols from state schools will alienate Muslims more than it will help integrate them.
"If the ban on headscarves in school is not accompanied by a vigorous effort on integration, it will be nothing but a useless annoyance," the left-leaning daily Liberation wrote.
The French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM), the state- sponsored umbrella group meant to help Muslims find their place in French society, is deeply split between its moderate leader and more powerful Islamic groups outraged by the veil ban.
"It risks falling apart," said Marseille mufti Sohaib Bensheikh, a prominent moderate member who is considering quitting the CFCM, told Europe 1 radio. "I'm very much in the minority and don't feel very comfortable there."
About 10,000 Muslims protested Saturday against the looming veil ban, despite calls by CFCM head Dalil Boubakeur not to march and doubts other Muslim groups had about the fiery anti-Zionist Mohamed Latreche who led the demonstration.
GROWING POLARISATION
Bernard Stasi, who first proposed the ban on all religious symbols in state schools as a bulwark against rising Islamist influence in some areas, said fundamentalist agitators were trying to exploit frustration among Muslims against the state.
"It would be a catastrophe if the state gave in to the Islamists," he said.
The opposition Socialist Party, looking ahead to regional elections in March, said that "all extremists in France are trying to create a climate of tension before the polls."
The far-right National Front has been campaigning against a law banning religious symbols, a stand that analysts interpret as a bid to stoke tensions over the issue and win voters for its staunch opposition to immigration.
But several mainstream lawmakers have begun criticising the veil ban proposed by President Jacques Chirac. "We think we're fighting the fundamentalists, but we're actually giving them a chance (to mobilize)," centrist Francois Bayrou said last week.
The Catholic Church has also criticized the veil debate, saying it was stirring up animosity toward all religions.
France's contested immigration policy is closely linked to the political fortunes of Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, now under fire for including Islamic militants in the CFCM and promoting "positive discrimination" to promote Muslims.
He tops the popularity polls thanks to his unusually dynamic style and has won Muslim support for taking their concerns so seriously. But his activism annoys more cautious politicians and several are clearly waiting for him to trip up.
Muslim groups have vowed to hold more protest marches next month, when the National Assembly begins debating the ban.
But...but...but...Islam is the RELIGION OF PEACE!! The "extremists" are only a "very tiny minority!! Reuters said so!!!"
Wait a minute, this is Reuters. Oopsie.
WARNING: This is a high volume ping list
The ban (which I agree is very stupid) includes crucifixes and yarmulkes, but I haven't seen any Christians or Jews marching, protesting or rioting.
The article stated that the Catholic Church is very much against the ban.
Especially in Eurabia.
Before this happened to me, I was concerned about legal & illegal US immigration, not out of a xenophia, but just the perception that they did not bring the same values as America's. That day in France was an eye opener. Since then I have digested was happening in France, and later learned about LaRaza, MeCHA, and Azatlan. I "hadn't seen (our) forest all the trees!" I had my epiphony. Now I am (almost) frightened for my country and its Constitution.
That is really laughable. Muslim extremists want to find their place in French Society? I know they loathe what America represents, but I wonder how many more bombs will have to go off in France before the people wake up and smell the poison that is amongst them.This should be a wake up call for the French, but that 's giving them way too much credit and I'm sure they'll keep acquiescing to their demands. For gosh sake, the French Gov't has built many of their mosques for them.
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