by Ramin Mazaheri and cross-posted with PressTV
In 2017 two out of three French voters were on the side of the nation’s Muslim citizens – for two weeks.
In between the first and second round presidential vote the incredible repression which Marine Le Pen was going to wage on Muslims was constantly cited as a reason to vote for Emmanuel Macron, who was presented as a “centrist”.
As the largest Muslim country in Europe the Muslim vote matters: In 2012 French Muslims decided the election. More than 2 million Muslim voters voted for Francois Hollande to the tune of 93% against Nicolas Sarkozy. Hollande prevailed by just 1.1 million votes, or a 51.6% to 48.4% margin.
Hollande immediately sold out the Muslim vote by refusing to take a zero-tolerance approach to Sarkozy’s inauguration of France’s normalisation of Islamophobia.
The start of open attacks on Islam with Sarkozy has only backfired in every way, because since his election polls show that French Muslims have only gotten more devout in their practices. The reason is obvious: the constant accusations that Islam is bad pushes French Muslims to look more closely at their religion – they do, and they realise how wonderful Islam is, thus they become more devout.
For France’s non-Muslims it has tragically backfired as well. Many in France don’t realise that the insulting Islamophobia, which results in humiliating domestic oppression, comes on top of two centuries of colonial and neo-colonial domination, plus foreign wars in places like Mali, Libya, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. Seemingly every Muslim attacker in France since 2008 who wasn’t clearly insane cited France’s wars in Mali and Syria, specifically, as justification for their attacks.
Hollande manipulated the attacks to gain approval for state-sponsored Islamophobia, which became his trusty “Islamo-diversion” tactic to deflect from his unpopular enforcing of far-right economic austerity. In his tenure some 4,000 warrantless raids on Muslim homes, mosques and properties only led to six suspicions of terrorism. The handful of the court cases were won, and I cannot unearth even one conviction from Hollande-era raids.
France’s fake-left assumed they have the Muslim constituency in their back pocket in 2012. In 2017 the threat of the National Front forced them into Macron’s camp. 2022 is a changed place.
Many French Muslims have told me they will do what was unthinkable to them previously – vote for the National Front (now rebranded as the “National Rally) in the second round.
Why the change? The insidious deception that Macron is a “centrist” and not a willing manipulator of Islamophobia has been totally disproven – the lower class and the Muslim class have paid the price for five years.
Sarkozy brought French Islamophobia into the mainstream, Hollande got it approved, but Macron institutionalised it. Macron took Hollande’s multiyear state of emergency and legalised it, with Muslims the clear targets and practically the only victims. Only the Yellow Vests and a small number of leftist and environmental activists have ever been impacted.
From not apologising for various massacres and atrocities against Algerians, to keeping Europe’s oldest political prisoner and the “Arab Nelson Mandela” Georges Ibrahim Abdallah in prison, to falsely and shamefully enacting legislation which equates anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism, to a “cyber-hate bill” which targets pro-Palestinians and Yellow Vests – Macron did very little in the past five years which did anything but hurt Muslims.
Have Islamophobic acts increased during the Macron era? We don’t know – Macron forced the closure of the French Collective Against Islamophobia, seemingly the only and certainly the best Muslim NGO committed to tracking this problem.
His so-called “anti-separatist law” of 2021 was the definite legalisation of Islamophobia, and was so heavy-handed even the United Nations and English-media widely criticised it. It tried to ban the hijab for minors and clearly violated constitutional protections for the freedom of association, worship and politics. In recent months nearly 100 mosques have recently been raided by the government, with at least two dozen shut down so far. (Who says Macron doesn’t care about far-right voters?)
Just this week a new report from Reuters came out: The mosque closures were based merely on “secretive evidence” which violate the right to fair trial and equality before the law. “Secretive” is simply another word for “false”, of course.
As his record clearly now proves, Macron is on the far-right economically (austerity and neoliberalism), politically (with his repression of the Yellow Vests), in his governance style (it’s a completely top-down style befitting a monarch and not an elected public servant who must listen to others and compromise) but also culturally – he’s Islamophobic.
The error is exactly as I wrote in 2017 – in agreeing with the Mainstream Media’s insistence that Macron was a “centrist”. The past five years proves he is authoritarian, pro-economic inequality, and Islamophobic.
Much like with the absolutely brutal repression of the Yellow Vests – Marine Le Pen would have never gotten away with half of the Islamophobia Macron did. People would have been on guard from the day she took office – similar to the response to Donald Trump’s election in the United States. A Le Pen victory would have sparked organised progressive resistance groups – something like a George Floyd response or #MeToo but à la française.
The handful of French media oligarchs who decided to give a political neophyte (he was previously a Rothschild banker) like Macron such glowing press coverage in the run-up to the 2017 election also decided to hand the 2022 election campaign agenda to convicted racist Eric Zemmour. The reason? Primarily this was done to spit the far-right vote for Sunday’s first round vote, but Zemmour also aids Macron by making Macron look more falsely “centrist”. Look at his record – Macron needs that assistance.
Making Islamophobia the 2022 election’s primary campaign issue will backfire – record abstention is widely predicted. It’s actually good news in this way: Islamophobia may still propel French politicians but the French people are bored by it – they wanted to go back to discussing real issues.
A very recent poll actually has Marine Le Pen beating Macron 50.5% to 49.5%. Other recent polls have her just 3 points down from Macron – that’s within the margin of error, and thus it’s a dead-heat. Her Hungarian “right-nationalist” counterpart just won a huge victory even though polls predicted a much tighter contest. French polling agencies are not just staffed by politicians – the biggest one is owned by a politician. Thus the odds of a 2nd round win by Le Pen seem much, much higher than many claimed in the previous months.
A Le Pen victory will be no picnic for France’s Muslims but at least everyone will be on guard against her. Macron, foolishly, was given a huge leash, and he went so far against Muslims that he broke the chain.
But mostly, France’s Muslims will do what a record number of French people will likely do: tune out the mainstream media hate factory and not vote. Abstention will hurt France’s left wing candidate – Jean-Luc Melenchon, who opposed the anti-separatism bill – but in France even the left wing is often as Islamophobic as the right wing.
One thing is certain: the alleged “centrist” Macron was no solution for France’s anti-Muslim problems.
********************************************************
List of articles covering the 2022 French elections.
Please check out my new book France’s Yellow Vests: Western Repression of the West’s Best Values, which is being published for free in chapter-by-chapter format.
Catastrophe since 2017: How to cover France’s presidential election? – November 22, 2021
Le Monde’s circus invite: ‘France is a leftist country which votes right’ – January 27, 2022
Le Pen now wants in the euro & no Frexit – should the Left want her in? – February 2, 2022
France’s conservatives cry out for National Socialism – Zemmour’s response? – February 10, 2022
Islamophobia didn’t interest French voters – war hysteria will? – March 14, 2022
France apathetic about politics? Has corona gutted voter energy, or Macron? – March 31, 2022
Ramin Mazaheri is the chief correspondent in Paris for Press TV and has lived in France since 2009. His new book is ‘France’s Yellow Vests: Western Repression of the West’s Best Values’. He is also the author of ‘ Socialism’s Ignored Success: Iranian Islamic Socialism’ as well as ‘I’ll Ruin Everything You Are: Ending Western Propaganda on Red China’, which is also available in simplified and traditional Chinese.
So ironically the overtly anti-Muslim candidate might win, because of Muslim voters. Because her anti-Islam stance is more moderate & honest.
French politics are a s***show right now.
“Le Pen surges to a dead heat”.
Not even steaming hot; French politics are a tepid s**show:
By the way, Ramin, what do French Muslims think about the only important issue, the one that is never mentioned: Socialism with Islamic Characteristics?
It doesn’t matter who’s elected.
The Jewish financial mafia that controls the West, commands western politicians how to act towards Muslims. The hate has to keep going in order to make Apartheid Israhell looks good by comparison, and that Israhell is right in killing Muslims at will.
http://biblicisminstitute.wordpress.com/2014/08/21/the-demonization-of-arabs-and-muslims/
France is not a muslim nation. It is a nation that has let in refugees that are now seeing themselves more as muslims than french. If they had integrated they would be as secular as the french but they have chosen not to. This is not something France has to accept and that is what the voters that are seen as the “deplorables” voice.
Stop your anti Muslim crap, France tortured and destroyed Muslim people in Africa for decades. Don’t these people have any rights when they won’t to have any piece of the cake in this former colonial master country? Pathetic point of view
Arrêtez vos propres “conneries” et tissus de mensonges sur l’Afrique française qui fut à l’origine une merveille, hélas dévoyée par les politicards corrompus.
Please,let go of this woke PC stuff. It’ not anti-muslim, to state, that France is not a muslim country, it’s a basic fact. That doesn’t mean, Muslims shouldn’t live there, with equal rights and freedom.
I’m very much with you about the crimes the western governments comitted in islamic countries and those people are justified in their rage.
So feel free to blow up the Elysee, Westminster, White House and Reichstag, capture any politician you want and bring him to a tribunal and hang him.
Just don’t expect the average citizen, to accept the cut throating of his family.
Neither of us is forcing our military, to enter foreign countries to commit murder.
Save your hate for the murderers.
Look at the Chechens in the Ukraine, for the first time in my life, I feel good to hear “Allahu akbar”, because they fight and kill for a just cause.
Normally, in wester cities, you hear that at the slaughter of an innocent citizen. And I swear, if that would happen to some of our “leaders”, the public outcry, besides the MSM, would not be that massiv.
> Just don’t expect the average citizen, to accept the cut throating of his family.
Usual trope. You voted that politician in and gave him a mandate
You deserve the politicians you get and the blowback you get
Just cannot have cake and eat it too
In the long run if the French are to survive as a genetically distinct people of course they must have an ethnically homogenous homeland. Either you are in favor of the genetic survival of the French people or you are not. No more muddled thinking and moral cowardice, please. Pick a side.
Muslims tortured and destroyed Christian people in Europe for centuries (Turkish empire) and in the south of France until 18th century (captures of slaves was stopped by king Louis XIV). It is the right (and the duty) of everyone in a country to fight again colonization of his country (the Algerians did it, now the French).
Anyway, there should be a way to integrate Muslims in France. Maybe a good example, but never mentioned in France, would be Russia.
So, in your view, the rebalancing of the wrongs of imperialism is to expel the imperialists from the home country and follow it with an invasion by return, as if it were a right?
What does that achieve, exactly? Have you learned nothing? In what way does new segrgated occupation cure the ills of past segregated occupation?
I kind of understand the flow back consequence of occupied people into an ex imperial power, but I constantly wonder that they seem to have learned nothing by their own history.
Because at the heart of your statement lies the persistent delusion in the minds of migrants themselves that white Europeans are qualitatively different from themselves and will somehow respond differently to an occupation.
The big detail you miss is that people everywhere are essentially the same. That what you did to white man in expelling them from your countries must also happen here to you. All history on every continent tells us this is what natives try and mostly achieve, after a period of mild resistance, acceptance, and finally resentment.
What we actually need is not reciprocal invasion and plunder: we need new a financial architecture that stops tilting the table towards ‘the west’ such that all the world’s resources and wealth slide into the pockets of the few without work. Mutual sovereignty.
Because I know few migrants who would not rather be in their home country, among their own kind, their own faith communities so long as international relations were just and fair and chances equalised.
Commentaire raisonnable !
La France est avant tout un pays chrétien catholique, même si très peu s’en souviennent encore !
Jésus-Christ est Roi de France, comme Jeanne d’Arc l’a affirmé !
Notre-Dame de l’Assomption est Reine de France !
Et le Sacré-Coeur de Jésus sauvera le France !
It was not ”the muslims” who destroyed catholism in France. The french revolution was done by the freemasons to break the back of the church and they succeeded and then spread to the rest of Europe.
If there is any religion today in France or in Europe in general it is Islam. That’s why they are fighting it….and you are supporting that war.
It is true when Christ returns things will look different, just not how you picture them ”christ fighting muslims”. It’s the opposite.
Please take the time to translate to english as has been asked many times for all posters.
Just in case you don’t know France to this day is responsible for poverty in many countries in Africa.
https://moguldom.com/229503/african-countries-still-pay-500b-in-colonial-taxes-to-france-each-year/
France is not a Muslim country.
Proof? They are holding a two round election during Ramadan!
Oof, c’est dur!
Hard to be a journalist today!
The idea that a nation comes before an individual’s relationship with God… well, it is a new idea, perhaps that’s why it seems strange. But hey – on Judgement Day you can say: I did many bad things, but I was good for France!
Maybe it’ll work – up to Him.
You are not really French, and you never will be. France is not your country, and it never will be.
France collecting 500 BILLION Dollars every year is a fact…. nice try. Everybody knows the ugliness of France.
France just got kicked out of Mali by Russia in case you don’t know, prior to that Central rep of Africa did same thing. Hope they all kick France out.
> France’s empire was dismantled a long time ago
Nonsense. France still has colonies — Reunion Island, French Guyana and they still think Lebanon belongs to them, that’s why little Micron was the first to sort out Lebanon after the blast
All your wide boulevards, the museums, gardens, universities, educational infrastructure was built on the blood spilt in the colonies
What the colonies got was slavery, some basic infrastructure so the masters can benefit from its efficiency, not out of the kindness of their heart
This applies to every w. european country and they only outdid each other in cruelty
Some dreams still lingering even today. Did you know the Indonesian constitution is still printed in the Netherlands?
Dismantled. my a**
Mod: cleaned up a bit. To avoid diminishing the value of your comment, please refrain from using curse words in your next posts. Thanks
I thought that in France, after centuries of bloody religious wars, a cornerstone of modern French culture, society, and law was and is laicite.
Regardless of the impeiroal crimes committed by France in its colonies—is anyone trying to refute the reality of empires’ historical crimes?—when ex-colonials come to Metropolitan France, they should accept the core concept of the country’s social arrangements and integrate themselves into the country’s public life. What they do in private is their own business.
If they refuse to do that, then we are talking about some kind of takeover of, in the case of the USA, reconquista. The ex-colonials, refugees, migrants, etc. may succeed in this endeavor, but don’t expect French citizens to be guilt-tripped into accepting this without a fight.
Obviously, the USA has committed enormous crimes in its overseas “colonies” and satrapies. Now there may actually be a reconquista under way. Again, don’t expect Americans to flagellate themselves with guilt for what the American imperium has done and toss the ideals (and ideas) on which this country was founded out the window while they see their country going down the PC and economic tubes.
Far more sensible is (IMO) political activism to halt the overseas (and Latin American) adventures that drive many from their homes.
Having just now successfully carried out a regime change in Pakistan, likely resulting in a complete reversal of allegiance away from China and Russia to the good old USA’s corrupt version of world order, I fully expect the American focus to now switch to getting their politicians, whomever that may be – as I’m sure they have many in their pockets, elected in France.
Whilst winning the immediate military battles being carried out in Ukraine, I feel that Russia and China are losing the larger / wider geo-political war raging across the planet.
This noble idea of not wanting a return of the iron curtain is very applaudable but given the economic and political systems dominating the existing global order and power structures is probably not very practical.
Ruling governments will have to choose between systems, just as consumers had to choose systems back in the late 70’s early 80’s between the better Betamax but the cheaper VHS video recording systems.
VHS won out in the end, not because it was a better system, but because it was able to offer longer recording times and numerous deals were made with motion picture companies to release their movies in the VHS format, and the consumer wanted what VHS was offering.
In the banking world of international financial transactions and payments, the US dollar SWIFT system would be the VHS format. The new Betamax format of an international alternative to SWIFT based on a yet to be determined commodity back currency is still only a rumour. For future reference VHS=SWIFT and Betamax=NOT-SWIFT the nameless alternative system likely based on a mixture of Russian SPFS & Chinese CIPS.
And that to me is the Big Problem.
Whatever military targets and gains are won on the ground, they will be short lived unless a sizable proportion of the ruling governments of the world opt to go with the as yet unknown new Betamax offering. All these individual trade deals between countries using their own currencies can vanish in regime change as quickly as Pakistan’s allegiance to the Eurasian integration will do.
I pray history will prove me wrong but geopolitically, this global war could all be over bar the shouting by the time the actual guns fall silent on the Ukrainian battlefield. I truly sense that the opportunity may still be there for Betamax to make some inroads into the market space dominated by VHS and maybe even overtake VHS in the long term, but the longer the world waits for the new Betamax format to be released the less likely I see that happening. There will no doubt be many more regime changes in the Eurasian landmass as long as monetary corruption dominates the ruling order of things, to the point where Betamax will just never get enough take up to make any difference to VHS’s world market domination.
And we all know how that worked out for Sony.
I agree with what you said, but remember that VHS was replaced by DVD, that was eventually replaced by streaming (blueray was almost a stillborn, killed by streaming). My point is that the West and its financial creations are not eternal, and their day of reckoning may be approaching. The West’s economy was hollowed out by their rentier overlords. Russia and China have nowadays some advantages over the West, the former being very rich in natural resources, while the later is a manufacturing powerhouse. The alliance of these two countries is something that the West will have much difficulties dealing with given the state of its economy. The US still has some power, but its strength is no longer what it was (in the words of the Saker, the empire has died, but still has momentum). Europe, unfortunately, seems to be in a much more dire situation.
Based on your analogy, I’d say is it is very conceivable VHS’s days are indeed numbered. O think this will be the best for all, including the people in the West. Sure, suffering may abound, but something better may blossom among the debris.
I think that the shenanigans by the USA to unseat Kahn will be reversed in the general election later this year.
Ties between Pakistan’s military and the USA were strong throughout the Cold War and continue to this day. Pakistan’s military is not alone. Many of the governments of Latin America have military forces with close ties to the USA military. As long as this continues, no leader can be safeguarded from a possible overthrow (a military coup or even a soft coup as we have witnessed in Pakistan). If Kahn is re-elected, he should immediately replace all his military leaders with ones that have no ties to the USA. This purge should resemble the one Turkey performed after the coup against Erdogan.
Venezuela is a textbook example of how to do this. Sovereign armed forces are critical for sovereignty.
Kahn = Cahen = Cohen = Jew
Khan = King = Muslim
Kahn = Pro-Russian Pakistan
His name is Imran KHAN, The Kasnan!
Not to burst the VHS and Betamax comparitive discussion but Betamax was used in the form of Betacam by commercial stations and professional camera crews for years due to quality. Betamax also had a PCM adaptor which allowed for digital sound recording in the 90’s. In another life I did visual and audio recording and then editing for bands in a local nightclub. Helping them get demos together. Cinema continued to be made on film.
VHS cheap s**t for the masses.
Betamax quality for the professionals.
I see the SWIFT/CHPS/Basket of commodities/currenices compartive discusson only being strengthened by the analogy if the facts are put down correctly.
I agree with this guy below. But then I lived in France for 15 years. The first time I went there in 1969, there were almost no Muslims. Paris was a great place. Very safe for girls.
It was a big mistake for France to occupy Algeria and Tunisia. As usual in these matters, it was a choice made by the elites and the Jews who control French politics. Georges Pompidou worked for the Rothschilds after all. Ordinary people had no say in the matter.
François Mitterand allowed North Africans to bring their relatives. But Mitterand was the guy who “privatised” Jewish banks that had negative net worth. The French tax payer gave them massive compensation.
Don’t forget that the best way to rob a bank is to own it. Ask the Jew Ihor Kolomoisky if you don’t believe me. He robbed his bank of 500 million euros. The impoverished Ukrainian government had to rescue the bank. He is wanted for embezzlement in the USA, Ukraine, UK and Switzerland I believe. He sponsored the latest billionaire Jewish Zelensky. I just heard that the EU has given him one billion cool euros. Not bad for an actor. 🤣
France had no problem integrating millions of Portuguese, Italians, Romanians and Poles. I wonder why?
IMHO, these people will either be sent home or France will cease to exist as a nation for French people. I wonder if Ramin would approve of millions of Nigerians moving to his beloved Iran?
“Former French Intelligence Chief: “All Multicultural Societies Are Doomed””
https://greatgameindia.com/french-multicultural-societies/
” I wonder if Ramin would approve of millions of Nigerians moving to his beloved Iran? ”
Of course he wouldn’t as most migrants are hypocrites. In the US a large percentage of Latinos are all for open borders and immigration until you ask them about migration into their own countries, at which point you get lots of excuses as to why thats a bad idea.
In fact, lets ship millions of Chinese , atheist, Communists into Iran and then wait for the ensuing social strive, antagonism and violence.
Ramin’s anti-French articles are just anti-White diatribes in disguise.
Dear Andreï,
I follow you since 2013, every day and I’m OK with almost all you say.
However, I often desagree with your guests and for some of them, I don’t read them anymore.
But when I read such a loaf of bullshits and lies about my country I hope that what is written on this blog is more accurate and honest that this awfull item that make my blood and all my soul boiling.
A Muslim can practice his religion the way he want and as much as he want in France.
But as every religion in France, he must be discreet. And it’s for a good reason. After decades of bloody religions wars, it’s the only way our fathers found to prevent blood and segregation.
In France, every citizen is equal and free at the condition he don’t mind his neighboors with his opinions or religion, he follow the law of our beloved Republic, he respect the uses of pour country and don’t try to dictate his law.
Today, those last 7 years, Muslim terrorists killed 700 men, women, children in France. Beheading priests and teachers…
Is there only even one mosquée burn in revenge? No
Is there only even one Muslim killed or bitten in revenge? No
Is there any muslim ban ? No
Read all these bullshits of hâte against my land on this blog make me sad.
Best regard.
”those last 7 years, Muslim terrorists killed 700 men, women, children in France. Beheading priests and teachers…”
Proof for all of this? or do you buy everything told to you on MSM?
Ever hear of flase flag? don’t tell me you believe the BS told on september 2001.
Of course there is no doubt that 130 were killed in the Bataclan in 2015 in Paris. As well as thousands were killed in 2001 in New-York.
The only doubt can be how were they killed ? For Bataclan, there is no doubt that they were killed by islamists. But of course you can go further and ask why there were islamists in France.
Merah: 3 french soldiers, 3 jewish kids
Charlie Hebdo: 13 killed
Kouachi: 5 killed, one beheaded
Bataclan: 130 kids killed in concert of Engels of Death Métal.
2 more in Paris streets, hundreds wounded
Nice, 14 juillet: 80 killed by a truck, hundreds wounded
Father Hamel, catholic Priest, beheaded with to other people in his church
Un other priest in Nice, beheaded with one other personn
Missis Halimi, tortured during one hour on his balcony and throat cut by a Muslim who shout Coran during
A young 17 year old french boy throat cut at a bus stop at the middle of passive muslims by a Muslim who though he looked kuffar
Samuel Patty, french teacher, beheaded
And douzens and dozens others.
We French became a people of weaks.
And Islamists are trying to take advantage of that.
They will fail.
Hardly.
Believe me
@Passerby. From Wikipedia I counted 24 Muslim terrorist murders in France since 2014:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Islamist_terrorist_attacks
The number of ordinary non-terrorist murders committed in France per year is about 700-900:
“In 2019, homicide rate for France was 1.3 cases per 100,000 population… it tended to decrease from year 2000, ending at 1.3 cases per 100,000 population in 2019.”
You mean Joo wikipedia is now source of truth? I bet they also Russia committed genocide in Ukraine. Carefull what you believe
Check out the work of Kevin Barrett about False flags in France.
“Today, those last 7 years, Muslim terrorists killed 700 men, women, children in France. Beheading priests and teachers…”
If you bothered to check out alternative media, you would quickly realise that pretty well all of these incidents were organised by the authorities. The pasties who got shot afterwards got the blame. I mean, they had to keep the French living in fear. How else could they be divided against one another and controlled.
So who set the Notre Dame and hundreds of other churches in France on fire? Do you really think it was the Muslims? Ask yourself who benefits by blaming the Muslims and all will be clear. As the Former French Intelligence Chief explains above, it is all designed to dispossess the French of their own religion, culture, language and civilisation. You can see a similar process in Ukraine if you look objectively.
“divide et impera” – guess who rules Kiev?
Yep – I love your House of Lords. Often compared to the USA Senate, it is a non-elected body. You really can’t say your a democracy and have one of the main political wings in your government gain office by heredity alone. What a joke.
Wikipedia: “The House of Lords, formally The Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled,[2] also known as the House of Peers,[3] is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.[4] Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function.”
From what I’ve read, the House of Lords seeks mainly to reduce taxes on the royalty or keep tax breaks in place that date back hundreds of years.
Condorcet, I agree with everything you said. It’s sad that the moderators are removing anti Muslim remarks from the comments.
@Lev
I’m not anti-muslim. Not at all. If they want to be our brother, respect our laws and the uses wich grant civil peace in our country, if they don’t try to dictate their Law, if they don’t serve foreign country like Maracco, Algeria, Turkey, Quatar or Saoudis, they are welcome.
But I can’t stand those islamists wich come with fake noze in groaning that french are mean and bad with the so nice Muslim.
Our fathers fought several centuries to sens back priests in their churchs in kicking their asses. It’s not to let imams dictate their law.
I guess the baseline assumption here is that “Islamophobia” is a bad thing. I will let the French people decide that. George Soros and Open Borders horse crap is fvking everything up. Personally I don’t find the Muslim thing all that attractive. MLM huh? Muslim lives matter.
Unthinking hatred of an entire religion and all its adherents is indeed a bad thing.
However, criticism of specific activities of small groups of adherents is not, any more than criticism of individual policies within certain sects of Islam is either.
It’s strange that no-one ever highlights Jewish terrorists, but every time a Muslim blows something up, it’s because they were Muslim. It’s pretty clear that Jewish terrorists have committed barbarous atrocities against the USA one more than one occasion, but no-one badges the whole Jewish faith badly as a result.
The truth is that every religion, Christianity included, has its violent fanatics and it’s damn nigh on impossible to stop them existing short of keeping the whole population under house arrest.
You’re right, Rhys. I may nonetheless embrace the broader view of criticising religion per se. (Where religion here equals western monotheism, because oriental philosophies like Buddhism or Taoism are not religions, strictly speaking).
But I don’t hate anyone for his religion: that makes no sense. Instead, despising delusional thinking and considering western monotheism as delusional, makes sense. Especially if these delusional people are constantly fighting each other.
So my point is: a sincerely liberal principle of letting everyone professing the religion he wants, if he wants, is a beautiful thing, but at the same time putting a Chrstian, a Muslim and a Jew in the same place is ALWAYS a bad idea.
How absurd it is that the only one who has really put up a fight against current islamophobia in France, Mélenchon , – and have been viciously attacked by MSM on that account – only gets a distant nod for opposing the separatism bill together with a dismissive point about the left in France, “often as islamophobic as the right wing”. Does that include Mélenchon’s followers? Seriously, here Ramin Mazaheri is way off the mark!
Hi Orjan,
I like Melenchon, personally, and I like his supporters in the main.
The Yellow Vests’ program is closest to Melenchon, and they are mainly supporting Melenchon. And who knows French politics better than them?
But there plenty of politicians in Melenchon’s party who have the daggers out for Islam. Been this way since Simone de Beauvoir. I could immediately give you a list of his politicians and think tanks who refuse to be interviewed by Iranian media like me, but I’m not going to name-drop. I personally do not feel Melenchon is Islamophobic – instead I feel he plays to this group within his party sometimes.
I am not off the mark, I think, because I am comparing them to the real leftists in the Anlgophone world – leftists there have far, far less of the hatred for all religions than French leftists do.
Abstention is officially the lowest since 2002 – that means it’s probably over for Melenchon. Likely means the poor and immigrant areas didn’t get out and vote, and without huge turnout from them Melenchon has no chance. He had to make up, what, 40% of voters to catch up ground with Le Pen? He was a distant 3rd. He really had a chance in 2017 – blame the Socialist Party and Benoit Hamon for not dropping out.
The French left is the Yellow Vests – for me there’s no doubt on that. Melenchon never rallied to them but tried to play to the centrists – and that’s why he’s going home.
Hi Ramin, I think you misread Mélenchon’s attitude towards the Yellow Vest. After a brief period when he tried to understand this novel phenomenon – a good sign that he wasn’t into phrase-mongering – the support he gave was just as much as possible while respecting the independence and originality of the movement. Social movements in France are very wary of politicians trying to use them and put themselves in front just to gain points. But when it comes to police brutality against the Yellow Wests, did you see any one coming out in defense of the Yellow Wests as forcefully as he did? Of course I can readily agree that there are many in the left- in a broader sense- that are islamophobic – think for instance of the large Israel-friendly current who cries “anti-semite” as soon as the plight of Palestinians are adressed. But where I think you’re still of the mark is not taking into account the struggle Melenchon has made against islamophobia in général – for instance in the debate against Zemmour. One of the reasons why Melenchon not will be in the second round of the elections is the disdain – or lack of solidarity from the broader French left when the was the target of attacks from the MSM. I wonder if this disdain, this lack of recognition is something shared by you, albeit from a different angle.
I truly don’t have disdain for him – he’s the best leftist vote to make.
Personally, I like Nathalie Arthaud the most – she is very humble and human in person. But Melenchon is simply unpopular with the rest of France, not with me.
Melenchon should have embraced the GJs like candidate Jean Lasalle, who wore a yellow vest in parliament.
OK,nothing to quarrel about. It’s a tough road ahead. appreciate your reports – keep on!
French democracy increasingly resembles American “democracy.”
You have the right to choose between different choices that are all crap.
It’s like choosing between eating a plate of cow sh!t versus eating a plate of dog sh!t.
Either way, you are still going to eat sh!t.
Have fun eating merde … I mean… voting!
French Muslims betrayed – Mazaheri is out of touch with reality 😂🤣🤣
Although France deserves punishment for what it did in its colonies, the French people are not responsible for the sins of their grandfathers and shouldn’t have these foreign savages in their midst.
See kids, Jim bob here is the perfect example of why blood mixing WITHIN one’s own family is such a bad idea.
What Yokel McDipstick here forgets is that Libya happened about a decade ago, and Syria is still ongoing, so the “not paying for the sins of their grandfathers” part doesn’t really apply, unless like Jimmy boy here, granpa also happens to be cousin Cletus, who is also his uncle as well as his sister’s special friend.
“ah-hyuck!”
Brilliant retort – I am undone!
It is so ironic that all of the fuss about the hijab is back in the campaign , Pecresse , Zemmour and Lepen are up against it, it’s in their “program”, not to forget the phony socialist party’s “concerns” about it…
After two years of forcing people, especially children, to wear a useless mask. No problem there , right ?
Just another blatant hypocrisy that goes unawares. There are so many .
The mask was a way to try to lower the risk to spread the covid. It had not much effect but that’s another thing. The hijab is a symbol of a backward religion which has no place in Europe.
I would be more careful when choosing my words if I were to talk about a religion which is the ”youngest” (in its actual iteration) and avoid labelling it ”backward”. What will be a ”foreward” religion then?
And to the ones complaining about immigration I have some thoughts to share:
– are there any noticeable english speaking african immigrants in france?
– if not why are they so scarce?
– then if the language seems to be the common trait of the immigrants majority ( french speaking) why does your france insist on keeping the colonial vestige of ”francophonie” alive?
– france should just cut ties with africa and be happy whitout the CFA that it uses as a collateral.
– ask total ( among others) to stop political medling in congo for exemple.
Just saying.
On a more positive note I would say that russia today is cancelled like the ”third world” have been for decades now. If we adopt the ”all foreigners out” strategy we are just playing the game ”divide and conquer” from the conquered side. We know what it is to be cancelled and today some of us are even cancelling and hating themselves. Dont play by their script.
The mask is a symbol of backward pseudo science and especially a mark of submission to authority. Symbols of religion in Europe that women had to wear- veils for instance- were commun place for centuries and are still around .
Who are you to decide what people wear ?
Macron vs LePen .
The same old stale scenario .
Used to be Marine LePen ‘s father , now she’s took up daddy’s business of being the bad guy in the final duel.
It’s like catch , just as phony and only dimwits and little children believe it.
She will lose, ’cause that’s her role to play , in a final “democracy” choke that the hero Macron will pull off in extremis ! What a suspense !
…..Pathetic.
He right left narrative is the easiest means for ausing discord. Macron’s politics have nothing to do with either. His task is and should have the protection of the french constitution and the french population. He did neither.
As long as this little cretin has been in function he has only served his master(s) following the guidelines from the World Economic Forum he’s a member of and where he got educated to do the evil he has been doing.
The creep should suffer a slow public death, impaling comes to mind…, wasn’t that an islamic thing, or more Ottoman?
All assuming voting works to change who’s in power, heh?
Le Pen is French and she will require those who seek government protection to be French citizens and to speak French. If you are not French she cannot help you. This is going the be the message. No matter the religion. Muslims know what’s going on with the Africans, who are not French and yet they keep invading the country as if they were?
BTW, Le Pen is almost on the far left in this election. Having right wing Macron and extreme right wing Zemmour run against her, plus the establishment neo-liberal gaggle of the past. Mélenchon is just a pipe dream harking back to the Soviet days. He’ll never win, but he just needs to be there for those who harbor dreams of communism. (they still remember Woodstock)
Une victime éternelle qui revendique de vivre aux crochets de son bourreau plutôt que de chercher à jouir de sa liberté. Extrêmement pénible.
>>The reason is obvious: the constant accusations that Islam is bad pushes French Muslims to look more closely at their religion – they do, and they realise how wonderful Islam is, thus they become more devout.
Anytime a population feels threatened, they will tend to draw into their core beliefs regardless of merit. If the French Muslims feel threatened, what they will do and may already be doing, is to draw into their core beliefs more intensely. They will become more radical in adhering to their belief system.
Good for France let the muslims rule tnere. Liberal women need reined in. Tbey need to be home taking care of the house and having children if they pleasant looking. Yes and make them all where the hijab and be obedient to their husbands. No more wild liberal women running loose and no more in government or any position of power. Yep allow the muslims to rule France since the liberal Christians can not.
Islam is a mechanism for world domination by terror and brute force. The real God, – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – creator of the earth, the universe, living things, and mankind in six days defined the day as one rotation of the earth before he even made the earth, commands not to murder, rape, or pillage. Those are the very things Mohammad’s demonic imagination orders, the very things that appeal to a jihad army of thugs thinking to get rich with plenty of sexual gratification by murdering and stealing what others have created and worked to earn.
“Islamophobia”? It’s a fake religion, offers nothing but worldly gratification at the expense of others. Like Joseph Smith, Jr., Mohammed’s vision of eternity was merely a copy of this earthly life. God, on the other hand, promises a very different state of being than this life, one in which there is purpose for our actions rather than futility and hedonism, one in which there is no entropy.
Such a good site, but too bad they allow such anti-Muslim insults and idiocy like this in the comments.
Really devalues the quality.
Religion is a choice and for that reason, considered a fair topic for debate on the Saker Blog.
It is a pity that some here like David Parker use that open space to display the same hatred to another’s religion that the world is now displaying to Russia.
David, in my view the words The Real God, – Father, Son and Holy Spirit become like ashes in your mouth, because you do not display any of the qualities of the concept. You’ve been miseducated, and you pass that on to others.
Let me say what else is part of the rule set here:
Quote The Saker: “However, I also think of this blog as my “virtual home” and of commentators as guests in my home. My guests need to know that I, their host, am a traditionalist Orthodox Christian and that I consider traditionalist Muslims (i.e. non-Takfiris) as my friends. You want to think long and hard before insulting my faith or my friends in my home. Atheists and agnostics are welcome here as long as they know where they are and what I expect from my guests. If you can offer a well-informed and logical criticism of Christianity or Islam, that is absolutely fine. But please aware that the minimum to qualify as “well-informed” is to understand the differences between the main Christian and Muslim branches/denominations/sects. “
Macron was always an elite, who represents the interests of the elite. So why was he was he so abruptly sourced and manufactured as the independent centrist candidate at last French Presidential election cycle? Out of sheer Deep State desperation. Due to both the mainstream Left and Right parties faltering to scandals and lack of credibility, which gave outsider independent Presidential candidate Le Pen an enormous advantage as the protest vote candidate. There seemed to be little options but a protest vote for many in electorate exhausted with the dual mainstream traditional parties. Thus, in this environment, the Macron independent party was sprung out of thin air, with maximum bankrolling from very deep pocketed sources. To act as the counter weight and spoiler against the serious Le Pen challenge, and seeming possibility of a Trump-like outsider populist victory. That subsequently the Macron facade unraveled so quickly is hardly a surprise, an overt elite in-authentically masquerading as a unifying centrist is always going to crack and fracture under the sustained pressures of state executive power.
Arguably humans are spirit beings having a physical experience. Religions tend to externalise spiritual experience using man-made ideologies created for societal control purposes. As such religions predominate in less spiritually developed societies that are dominated by relatively limited individual and collective consciousness. As human consciousness increases individuals steadily grow in spirituality by seeking to go within (meditate?) to commune with and seek direction from their indwelling Creator consciousness rather than seeking external direction from priests, gurus, ‘governments’ et al. Hence the teaching of Christ Jesus that every ensouled human individual is ‘a temple of God’ needing no external edifice or source of sanctification.
Arguably also, any ideology can be ‘religiously’ focused upon and used as a psychological talisman for personal purposes.