Is Marine Le Pen Pushing for a Civil War in France?

This blog had already warned about the dangers of supporting France's Front National (National Front Party). In recent elections, local and regional, the far-right party has been gaining ground and everybody was fooled by the party leadership's change of rhetoric. A couple of years ago we discussed the dangers of supporting these parties (in The Genius of Destruction: the Far Right), regardless of the strategic advantages of doing so, and last week we were once again proven right.

Marine Le Pen defended a ban on Kippot (the Jewish skullcap):

(..) In the name of equality we have to do this. We cannot just ban Muslim dress because then they will say we hate Muslims. - Marine Le Pen

But it's true, you do hate Muslims. France has had a problem with Muslims since it acquired colonies in the North of Africa; a problem that was intensified after the independence époque. Nevertheless, comparing a Kippah to a Burqa - or even a Niqab - is the most imbecile thing ever.

The ban on Burqas and Niqabs is justified because they hide the identity (and gender) of the person wearing them – therefore, they pose a security threat to our society. The ban on Kippot is not justified because they do not hide the identity of the men wearing them – thus, they do not pose a security threat to any society.

The timing of Marine Le Pen's statement is interesting: she decided to announce her intentions during the Sukkot Holiday (a Festivity to recall the 40 years the Jewish people lived in tents, in the desert, on their way to the Promised Land). Those right wing Jews who voted for this woman (because not only were they mad at Nicolas Sarkozy but also because Marine said all the right things about the Muslim aggressor) must be slapping themselves right now.

Words are meaningless and forgettable – Depeche Mode, Enjoy the Silence

Human beings love deception. If a politician is blunt, honest, with them they will call that individual crass, crazy, outrageous, distasteful, unfit to serve. But when politicians are a wolf in a sheep's clothing, even their future victims surrender to them. Ms Le Pen changed tactics and decided to appear more moderate (another deceptive term) than her father, so many were enchanted by the change; but the truth is if she was raised by that ghastly man and she decided to run the same party, how on earth could anyone believe that she would change whatsoever?

Ms Marine said what people wanted to hear about Islam. It's time for the electorate to be less reactive and start using their brain – Twin Peaks' axiom “the owls are not what they seem” is very much true. We must strive to analyse in depth the words being said, the body language of the speakers, the history of the party, the nuances (especially the nuances) and reach a conclusion. Le Pen said what people wanted to hear about Islam and then she moved on to Judaism. And since the National Front is anti-religious, Catholics and other Christians will be next. We are talking about a prospective violation of religious freedoms.

Separating the Wheat from the Tares

Muslim women are entitled to wear a hijab – this will ensure they keep their modesty while, at the same time, assuaging our national security fears. They cannot wear either burqas or niqabs since they represent a threat to us (but if they insist on wearing them, they are welcome to leave our society and move to Islamic nations where the attire is customary).

Jewish men are entitled to wear their Kippah. Jewish women have the right to wear their scarf. They do not threaten the lives of French people and they do not place in peril France's secular society.

Catholic men and women are more than entitled to wear the cross around their neck – the same goes to other Christians. This is neither a threat to French society.

Religion per se is not a threat, but radical violent forms of it is – and this is what we need to highlight and fight against. So what's next? What else is France going to ban?

If Nicolas Sarkozy runs for President: vote for him

If Mr Sarkozy's foes don't succeed in chewing him up, this blog will endorse him for President in 2017. Nicolas Sarkozy has the courage to criticise whatever is wrong about Islam, he is not afraid of calling things by their proper names, and he is a reasonable politician. He is not like Marine Le Pen: he doesn't run, or support, a far-right militia (training in certain estates across France) that sees the Jewish one as competition that must be removed from the way.

Radical Islam is one of Europe's main National and Regional Security threats. It's a fact. But banning all forms of religious expressions, instead of banning those that pose as a threat only, is counterproductive and will only spur more hatred.

Is Marine Le Pen trying to push for a Civil War in France...? 

(Image: Marine Le Pen - Google Images)

[The views expressed in this publication are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dissecting Society]