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Max Coutinho
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Excalibur (in 2 Clicks Swords) |
Just when we thought the sun had started to
shine again, the cloud of terror returned to hover over Europe.
On the 11th of March, in
Montauban, the first French citizen (a soldier) was killed on a rendezvous set
up to sell his scooter.
On the 15th of March, in a mall,
in Toulouse, two French citizens (paratroopers) were shot dead, and a third
citizen (also a paratrooper) was left in a coma.
On the 19th of March, equally in
Toulouse, a French Jewish School (Ozar Hatorah) was attacked having 3 children
and a Rabbi been killed.
All the victims represented minorities
(three soldiers were North-African descendants, the comatose paratrooper is of
Caribbean descent and the last 4 victims were Jewish) and given this fact the
police immediately thought that the culprits were Right Wing extremists (since
they have been a bit active, in France, lately). Some people, particularly
throughout the web, suggested that the work had been done by Islamists and they
were accused (by other readers/commentators) of being racist.
48 hours later the information that most people
feared was released: the attacks were allegedly carried out by Mohammed Merah,
a French citizen with links to Forsane Alizza (Knights of Pride) – an Islamist
group that France banned last month.
These crimes have a few implications:
- Political: it gives a
xenophobic leverage to the nationalist party (Front National), although
its leader, Marine Le Pen (a presidential candidate), has been striving to
avoid any extremist rhetoric, in public. It also presses France to
revaluate her foreign policy toward Israel and the Palestinian cause.
- National Security: France has a history of
singling out her Muslim citizens. This event could bring those dark ages
back, especially now that the Scarlet Alert has been activated (the
highest threat level of the Vigipirate)
meaning that “measures that are highly disruptive to public life are
authorised”. It could also trigger further discontentment toward the
European Muslim community and give green light to Far-Right Wing activity
all across Europe.
- Social: moderate Muslims
are placed in a very difficult situation by radical members of their community,
who clearly do not hesitate to murder/sacrifice their own to make a political statement.
- Religious: it may
raise questions of whether we are fighting the 21st century
crusade war or not; and set in motion dangerous religious-political
strategies.
On the same day that Jewish children (and a
Rabbi) were murdered in the name of the Palestinian Cause, Hamas – a terrorist
group – was scheduled to be welcomed in Geneva (by the UNRHC). One would think that a
hate crime that occurred at 07:55 (am) would be enough for the UNRHC to excuse
itself from hosting Ismail Al-Ashqai; but no. Only after Israel presented arguments to why the Hamas official shouldn’t be hosted by the Human Rights
Council, did the UN body cancel the visit.
This pushes us back to history: the Mufti ofJerusalem also met with Hitler while Jews were being exterminated. Europe never
learns!
And to think that Europeans find themselves
to be so superior over the US, having thus the nerve to accuse that country of
being paranoid and racist (when it comes to Islamism), but guess what: apparently,
their paranoia is well founded and they respect their Jews far much better than
Europe does.
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The post made me take the opportunity to scan the Battle of Toulouse.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Toulouse_(721)
Hi Looney :D!
Delete"The post made me take the opportunity to scan the Battle of Toulouse."
Aaah, synchronicity was at play here: I read about this battle last night. And I read something else (that made me think of you):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconquista
Looney, thank you so much for having dropped by and shared this vital link :D.
Cheers
Max, the problem is: Europe must stop being ambiguous and Sarkozy in particular. He fueled these events, ok? He invites the Palestinians over at versaille, he takes pictures with them, then France supports the Unesco bid, France supported earlier the UN bid, France is vocal in its support to "poor" Palestinians, Frances involvement in the Shalit process was poor because Sarkozy didn't want to injure the arabs etc etc. France never misses the opportunity to push Israel towards the abyss in public, in the diplomatic stage and now look what happened.
ReplyDeleteWhen is France and Europe in general going to realise that the muslim question is a serious business? Jacques Chirac said, during the terror attacks in London and Madrid, if France would be attacked or suffer any form of attack France would strike back nuclearly - France didn't suffer any terror attacks and the muslims were quiet there until Sarkozy and his ambiguity came along.
I agree with you: France is ambiguous when it comes to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict (but again isn't Europe as a whole?). The show that the French put on last year with the UN bid was an embarrassment and then Sarkozy has the nerve to pander the Jewish electorate: I hope they don't vote for him in a month time.
DeleteDid you see the French reaction to the Toulouse crimes? They are saying that this is the act of a fragile and deranged muslim, poor thing...France always depicts the muslim question as a result of their mistreating the North Africans in the past (which we do not deny) but history should not be used as an excuse for criminal actions, should it?
Hi Interested Reader :D!
Delete"Max, the problem is: Europe must stop being ambiguous and Sarkozy in particular. He fueled these events, ok? He invites the Palestinians over at versaille, he takes pictures with them, then France supports the Unesco bid, France supported earlier the UN bid, France is vocal in its support to "poor" Palestinians, Frances involvement in the Shalit process was poor because Sarkozy didn't want to injure the arabs etc etc. France never misses the opportunity to push Israel towards the abyss in public, in the diplomatic stage and now look what happened."
*nodding in agreement*...
"When is France and Europe in general going to realise that the muslim question is a serious business? Jacques Chirac said, during the terror attacks in London and Madrid, if France would be attacked or suffer any form of attack France would strike back nuclearly - France didn't suffer any terror attacks and the muslims were quiet there until Sarkozy and his ambiguity came along."
Oh yeah, I remember Jacques Chirac threatening the French Islam: he was quite direct and of few words; thus effective.
President Sarkozy has a history of not doing well with the minorities, having him come from a minority family as well...and being one of his sons married into a minority family too. Ironic, isn't it?
Interested Reader, thank you so much for your great comment :D. Do come back.
Cheers
The moderate muslims are in danger because not only radical muslims are willing to come after them to throw sand at the security forces eyes but also because it is more likely that racial profiling will be enhanced now. The best moderates could do is to like the communists did in the soviet union: snitch on radicals or on any suspect of radicalism.
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous :D!
Delete"The moderate muslims are in danger because not only radical muslims are willing to come after them to throw sand at the security forces eyes but also because it is more likely that racial profiling will be enhanced now."
Sad but true.
"The best moderates could do is to like the communists did in the soviet union: snitch on radicals or on any suspect of radicalism."
Moderates should definitely expose radicals (or those that are about to be turned - cause they always present signs).
Anonymous, thank you so much for your most interesting input :D.
Cheers
Let me not reinvent the wheel. Nothing has changed in the last five years. If anything, despite the killing of OBL, things have got worse. First what Freidman has to say which has my total endorsement.
ReplyDeleteProblem of the alienated Muslim
1.
“In the past few years, hundreds of Muslims have committed suicide amid innocent civilians – without making any concrete political demands and without generating any vigorous, sustained condemnation in the Muslim world.
Two trends are at work here: humiliation and atomization. Islam’s self identity is that it is the most perfect and complete expression of God’s monotheistic message, and the Quran is God’s last and most perfect word. To put it another way, young Muslims are raised on the view that Islam is God – 3.0 Christianity is God – 2.0 Judaism is God – 1.0 And Hinduism and all others are God 0.0.
One of the factors driving Muslim males, particularly educated ones, into these acts of extreme, expressive violence is that while they were taught that they have the most perfect and complete operating system, every day they’re confronted with the reality that people living by God2.0, God 1.0 and God – 0.0 are generally living much more prosperously, powerfully and democratically than those living under Islam. This creates a real dissonance and humiliation. How could this be? Who did this to us? The crusaders! The Jews! The West! It can never be something they failed to learn, adapt to or build. This humiliation produces a lashing out.”
Thomas L. Friedman, The New York Times. July 4, 2007.
2.
“We patronize Islam, and mislead ourselves, by repeating the mantra that Islam is a faith with no serious problems accepting the secular West, modernity and pluralism, and the only problem is a few bin Ladens. Although there is a deep moral impulse in Islam for justice, charity and compassion, Islam has not developed a dominant religious philosophy that allows equal recognition of alternative faith communities.”
Thomas L. Friedman, The New York Times.
Secondly, Iran has now decided to take its terrorism into our shores.
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_israeli-diplomat-attack-interpol-issues-red-corner-notices_1666283
The Indian establishment is pussyfooting because of vote bank politics about which I have commented earlier. Our own homegrown terror modules are getting caught by and by.
http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/GUJ-AHD-ahemdabad-blasts-accused-held-aide-killed-by-maha-ats-3021798.html
I concur with the generally held view in the West and most Indians that Islam is non compatible with democratic societies.
Hi Rummy :D!
Delete"Nothing has changed in the last five years. If anything, despite the killing of OBL, things have got worse."
I don't agree: I think that a few things have changed. First, the Muslim communities are less free than before (sadly enough their rights, in the West, have necessarily been violated and decreased - ask the people who are victims of racial profiling in the airports everyday); and second, the moderate Muslims are beginning to decry radical Islam (although still feable, we can sense the behavioural change).
"First what Freidman has to say which has my total endorsement."
You're a fan of Thomas Friedman, huh? Let's hear it...
"1 'In the past few years, hundreds of Muslims have committed suicide amid innocent civilians – without making any concrete political demands and without generating any vigorous, sustained condemnation in the Muslim world."
Well, the "martyrs" do not make political demands but the brains of the operations that lead those "hundreds of Muslims" to "martyrdom" do: "stop the Israelis from oppressing our brothers in Palestine", "we won't stop until the world converts to Islam the only true God's religion", "we won't stop terror until the Jewish occupation of Palestine ceases" etc etc etc....
There is no sustained condemnation in the Muslim world because victimisation and martyrdom serves the Muslim political purposes well.
"One of the factors driving Muslim males, particularly educated ones, into these acts of extreme, expressive violence is that while they were taught that they have the most perfect and complete operating system, every day they’re confronted with the reality that people living by God2.0, God 1.0 and God – 0.0 are generally living much more prosperously, powerfully and democratically than those living under Islam. This creates a real dissonance and humiliation."
Although this argument makes sense, it is a preposterous one to explain radicalism. Many people in the world were humiliated (one pops immediately into mind: the black African people) and they do not resort to violence nor terror to express their humiliation and social, economic, religious and political dichotomies.
And why speak of Muslim males only? Many Muslim females are also in the radical mix; and they can be the most passionate ones about violent causes (take the "brides" of OBL in Europe).
"(..) 'It can never be something they failed to learn, adapt to or build. This humiliation produces a lashing out.'..."
Their victimisation causes them to not see that they failed to learn, adapt to, build and develop. It is disappointing and tiresome...
" (..) Although there is a deep moral impulse in Islam for justice, charity and compassion, Islam has not developed a dominant religious philosophy that allows equal recognition of alternative faith communities.'...."
True.
"Secondly, Iran has now decided to take its terrorism into our shores. (..) Our own homegrown terror modules are getting caught by and by."
You know it. And to think that India is a trading partner, huh? Perhaps India should also re-evaluate its foreign politics a bit. Indeed...
"I concur with the generally held view in the West and most Indians that Islam is non compatible with democratic societies."
Is it non-compatible or do the ruling powers (religious and political) make it non-compatible?
Rummy, outstanding input for which I thank you a million times :D. Always a pleasure.
Cheers
Why single out Islam? Certainly the same could be said for the Catholic Church and many other branches of Christianity. Or for any religion that believes it knows the will of God and is willing to impose its beliefs on people.
DeleteMy comment was in response to Rummuser.
DeleteHi Cheerful Monk :D!
DeleteI just wanted to welcome you to the MAX Experience :D! It is a true pleasure to have you here among us and please feel free to return whenever you feel like it.
I'll leave you and Rummy to your affairs now...
Cheers
Max, it was shocking to see to what state things have come: radicals are willing to slaughter their own now just to deflect the police's attention until they can reach and kill their real target. I wonder about the timing of these attacks too: Geneva hosts the Hamas official (Merah was in the West Bank two years ago) on the same day that kid attacks the Jewish school - are there coincidences? I think that Europe gave too much space to the Palestinians last year to parade around Europe and present their case (while at the same time cementing their terrorist base right under the European noses...we are back to 1974 and Munich, mark my words, Max).
ReplyDeleteAnd why did the French kill Merah anyway? Why didn't they do their utmost to seize him alive to question him (it would've been great to see who his connections were etc)? So many questions and not enough answers.
I agree, Ana: this is 1974 all over again. Do you agree with the calls that French Jews should go to Israel?
DeleteHi Ana :D!
Delete"I wonder about the timing of these attacks too: Geneva hosts the Hamas official (Merah was in the West Bank two years ago) on the same day that kid attacks the Jewish school - are there coincidences?"
You know I do not believe in coincidences. You may be getting somewhere with your line of thought...
"I think that Europe gave too much space to the Palestinians last year to parade around Europe and present their case (while at the same time cementing their terrorist base right under the European noses...we are back to 1974 and Munich, mark my words, Max)."
That is one excellent point. Indeed, Europe immersed in her illusion that Palestinians are victims, seems to forget that they are Iran's puppets and I wouldn't be surprised at all if by having been allowed to circulate freely they had prepared their ground (like they did in the past) - but that is something for the security forces to study, right?
"And why did the French kill Merah anyway? Why didn't they do their utmost to seize him alive to question him (it would've been great to see who his connections were etc)? So many questions and not enough answers."
I agree. Perhaps France realised (during the conversations they entertained with Mohammed Merah) that if he'd live France would somehow be embarassed - specially after the support she showed for the PA last year....I don't know, I am just talking here.
Ana, thank you so much for your outstanding input :D.
Cheers
Security forces have to be attentive to this new trend: islamists act as if they were Neo-Nazis so that the police wastes time checking on far right groups while giving time and space to islamists to hit their main target. Look at what the press released today:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17534308
This is grave.
Hi Louis :D!
Delete"Security forces have to be attentive to this new trend: islamists act as if they were Neo-Nazis so that the police wastes time checking on far right groups while giving time and space to islamists to hit their main target."
That seems to be the new trend indeed. And what worries me is that these daring moves (of emulating neo-nazis' MO) can spark further violence on the part of far-right groups toward Muslim communities *nodding*. Can you imagine the scenario?
"Look at what the press released today (link) This is grave."
Thanks for sharing the link with us. I had read this news though and I agree: it is grave. These attacks only prove that France really has a problem that desperately needs to solve. Of course burrying their head in the sand won't work any longer, will it?
Louis, welcome to this comment section and thank you so much for your fabulous input :D. Do come back.
Cheers
Hi Max,
ReplyDeleteHappy Wednesday!
I guess there is no place in the world that is without violence and this saddens me. Every time I read a newspaper or look at the news, I am bombarded with violence. All I can add is this quote, "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent."
~Isaac Asimov
Keep your voice alive, it is needed for the downtrodden and those who have been silenced by tyranny.
Peaceful Cheers!
Hi Lady A :D!
Delete"Happy Wednesday!"
Happy Wednesday, my dear!
"I guess there is no place in the world that is without violence and this saddens me. Every time I read a newspaper or look at the news, I am bombarded with violence."
It is rather sad, isn't it?
"All I can add is this quote, "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent." ~Isaac Asimov"
Isaac Asimov is absolutely right. And I thank you for sharing this potent quote with us all: it must be shared with the world to see if people wake up and smell the coffee.
"Keep your voice alive, it is needed for the downtrodden and those who have been silenced by tyranny."
Thank you for your support, my dear friend *bowing*.
Lady A, amazing comment for which I thank you a million times :D.
Peace Always Cheers
With a constitution enshrining the notion of egalitarianism, France has always been considered more enlightened on matters of race but, then yes I do agree things over the last few years has deteriorated a lot, and to what I see is even among the minority groups, the major part of them gets punished, ridiculed or subjected to ill-treatment just for a mischievous handi-work of a few, because to me when you know you are a minority in a region, you shouldn't be provocative. There may be insecurities but for minority groups anywhere in any situation, aggression is not the best weapon of defence. And as I said earlier, there is a problematic few who creates the nuisance and then silently vanish when things get out of control. To me education is the one thing, which can bring enlightenment ans also upliftment, which ultimate can help in these situations, because history has time an again showed, this disenchantment's in most cases stem out of poverty, neglect and unemployment. So the majority group becomes the pawns of a handful few who try to become their messiah, but who themselves has selfish intentions.
ReplyDeleteHey Kalyan :D!
Delete"(...) I see is even among the minority groups, the major part of them gets punished, ridiculed or subjected to ill-treatment just for a mischievous handi-work of a few, because to me when you know you are a minority in a region, you shouldn't be provocative."
*nodding in utter agreement*....
"There may be insecurities but for minority groups anywhere in any situation, aggression is not the best weapon of defence."
I couldn't have said it better myself.
"To me education is the one thing, which can bring enlightenment ans also upliftment, which ultimate can help in these situations, because history has time an again showed, this disenchantment's in most cases stem out of poverty, neglect and unemployment."
I agree that education plays a vital role; but poverty, neglect and unemployment are not factors to explain such violent phenomenons (otherwise we would've had the black Africans committing acts of terrorism all over the world as well, but they don't). This violence is the result of political-religious manipulation and yes, we must educate the youth so that it won't fall for it any longer.
"So the majority group becomes the pawns of a handful few who try to become their messiah, but who themselves has selfish intentions."
Absolutely.
Kalyan, super comment for which I thank you immensely :D.
Cheers
Ah! Max! quand cesserons nous de confondre propagande électorale, et déni républicain.
ReplyDeletePar les causes d'une poignée d'agités nous passons pour raciste, ce qui est faux.
Nous ne supportons pas le manque d'éducation que nous avons toléré parce que la tache était si grande pour accueillir dignement tous ceux qui avaient sollicité la France pour terre d'accueil...Dans des moments de grandes pénuries de travail, d'enseignement.
Tout devient confus, l'histoire, la géographie, les racines, les guerres tribales, les rebellions.
Les causes et leurs effets.
Nous sommes toujours l'envers de quelqu'un.
Pourrions nous une fois pour toutes, arrêter la violence de l'esprit, afin d'atteindre plus sûrement les portes du coeur.
Il me semble que si nous persistons à vouloir régler nos mémoires à coups de politiques, nous sommes perdus.
http://vivianevi.blogspot.fr/
Oui Kalyan, l'éducation rééducation...
Bonsoir
Salut Sérénité :D!
Delete"Par les causes d'une poignée d'agités nous passons pour raciste, ce qui est faux."
Je suis d'accord. Je dis toujours que ma expérience avec la France est exactement le contraire de ce que tout le monde dit sur les Français. Je n'ai pas connu la face du racisme en France, mais voyons ça c'est ma expérience personnel...
"Nous ne supportons pas le manque d'éducation que nous avons toléré parce que la tache était si grande pour accueillir dignement tous ceux qui avaient sollicité la France pour terre d'accueil...Dans des moments de grandes pénuries de travail, d'enseignement."
Bien sure.
"Il me semble que si nous persistons à vouloir régler nos mémoires à coups de politiques, nous sommes perdus."
Merci d'avoir partagé le link (je vais le lire encore). Pas uniquement les coups politiques, mais aussi les coups de la religion.
Sérénité, merci beaucoup pour ton commentaire fabuleux! :D
Bonjour