Dealing with the Backlash: France Must Stop Attacks on Muslim Community

Pioneer Editorial

16 January 2015

France must stop attacks on Muslim community

In the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo episode, it is Islamophobic violence, as much as Islamist terror that has emerged as the real and looming threat to French security. In the less than 10 days since Saïd and Chérif Kouachi went on a murderous rampage across Paris to avenge the satirical magazine's perceived insult to Islam, and killed 12 innocents, French officials have recorded almost 60 instances of anti-Muslim acts and sentiments. These include violent attacks, such as two grenades being thrown at a mosque, gun shots being fired near a mosque and an explosion at a restaurant attached to a mosque, as well as public threats such as the incident in Corsica, wherein a boar's head and entrails were left outside a Muslim prayer room with a threatening note.

Although these attacks have, thankfully, claimed no lives and caused no major damage yet, they have happened despite Muslim community leaders repeatedly and vehemently condemning the January 7 bloodbath. Also, these Islamophobic incidents have been reported from all over France. It goes without saying that unless prompt action is taken; the situation can easily spiral out of control. French law enforcement authorities must crack down on those targeting innocent Muslims and send out a clear message that retributive violence against any religious community will not be tolerated, especially in as fiercely secular a country as France.

That said, effective policing is just one part of the solution. In the long run, French leaders from across the social and political spectrums will have to come together and work towards a better integrated and more harmonious society. The fact of the matter is that France's large Muslim community does not quite feel at home. Many live in ghettos, which are flush with guns and bombs; they believe that they are discriminated against in schools and offices; and increasingly, they feel alienated from the mainstream.

This, in turn, makes them easy prey for radical preachers and perpetuates a vicious cycle of hate and violence. On the other hand, as the Muslim population in France grows rapidly, large sections of the country’s white Catholic majority fear that their culture and identity are under threat. This deepens social rifts and feeds into the fear-mongering of groups such as the Al Qaeda.

To be fair to France, the Muslim backlash is not a phenomenon exclusive to it. After 9/11, Muslims in America came under attack (and the retaliatory violence vaguely aimed at just about any brown person also swept over Indian Americans, especially turbaned Sikhs who continue to be targeted till date); after 7/7, British Muslims too faced similar problems while brown folks in Australia have complained of racist attacks including after last month's ‘Sydney siege'. In France and around Europe (think Germany's Pegida movement that Chancellor Angela Merkel has criticised as racist and intolerant), however, Islamophobia has struck deeper roots.

Source: http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/edit/dealing-with-the-backlash.html

URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-terrorism-jihad/dealing-with-backlash-france-stop/d/101067