Bamboula, Anyone?

If you are a teacher, do not call your students "bamboula" or you may end up with a police record.

Yahoo reports that President Sarkozy has expressed indignation at the laxness of the Board of Education of the department of les Vosges, regarding an incident of racism towards a student.

A 17-year old Angolan student named Chouaib Lusikama was subjected to racist remarks by one of his teachers. The President met with the young man and his family at Elysée Palace, after the tribunal at Epinal gave the teacher a one month suspended prison sentence.

"The President stressed that we all have to maintain our capacity for indignation, and the fact that neither the high-school nor the administration reacted to what was racist treatment was perfectly inadmissible," reported government spokesperson Laurent Wauquiez.

Just as we cannot accept young people who make trouble, we must have the same capacity for indignation for a teacher who behaves in this way," he added. (...)

A much more critical point of view is provided by Amor Patriae:

The teacher (...) has been the preferred target for activists of "official thought" from MRAP, the LDH (Human Rights League) and other lobbies of this type. But is this generalized and blind public outcry for justice really justified? In truth, the media-political circus surrounding this affair - Nicolas Sarkozy himself intervened publicly to blame the teacher - has not been helpful in understanding the teacher's behavior.

If the insulting remarks are in fact true - that he called the student "bamboula" - there is perhaps a motive, which is most likely the behavior of the student:

"I called this boy 'bamboula'. I shouldn't have. But in my mind it was to stigmatize his behavior because he was extremely noisy, and restless. I couldn't take any more."

He tells about his difficult year in an electronics class in a technical high-school in Epinal. The boy, he says, came to class with an MP3 plugged into his ears and answered his cell phone. He made a racket, he danced, he sang in class, preventing me from teaching. He obeyed none of my instructions. He was a disruptive pupil who didn't work."

According to the teacher, Chouaib received "two warnings and a reprimand" last year for his conduct. "One of my colleagues is on tranquilizers because of his conduct in athletics." The teacher admits to having "lost control several times and said things out of line. But not what they are accusing me of."

He denies accusations of racism: "I simply told him to go home if he didn't want to work. I am not a racist."

Finally, even though the courts and the majority of bleeding hearts do not share this opinion, it appears clear that if the teacher lost control, it was because he had been dealing for a long time with one of those miracles of immigration, a "bringer of good fortune" who respects no authority, least of all the teacher's. The teacher should not have indulged in suicidal behavior in a country such as ours, and if he's guilty of being insulting, it is understandable and he can almost be forgiven.

Now what is a "bamboula?" According to Le Petit Robert it is a Bantu word referring to an African drum. It is also an African dance performed to the sound of a bamboula. In current French colloquial language "faire la bamboula" means "to have fun".

Yet another teacher who had to learn the facts of life in the ghetto the hard way. But a prison record for using an innocuous African word, even more innocuous in French, is a warning to all teachers, and other "authority" figures, that judgments of immigrants are not allowed, and that there is no such thing as a bad pupil, only a bad teacher.

I found the little illustration at a forum. I'm not sure what it means, but it looks like a little African kid with a microphone, sitting on a tire. Apparently at one time there were cookies called "Bamboula" for kids, but they were withdrawn from the market for "politically correct" reasons.

The web is full of talk about bamboulas and whether or not eating one makes you a racist. I also found a restaurant in Bordeaux called La Bamboula, owned by an African from the Ivory Coast. It isn't yet clear if he will be charged with racism.

Rocard Joins the Club

Yahoo reports on the latest addition to the Sarko Socialist Club.

By the time he's through Nicolas Sarkozy will have put the entire Socialist Party back into power. The only one left is Ségolène Royal - how long before she is asked to head some commission or serve as ambassador to Cuba?

Now Michel Rocard, former prime minister under François Mitterand has agreed to sit on a commission charged with reevaluating the teaching profession.

Note: This may entail a rise in salaries and benefits, or concerns about the prestige of the profession.

Minister of Education Xavier Darcos explained that this commission would be placed under Rocard's "high authority, but not under his chairmanship", the latter post going to State councillor Marcel Pochard.

"I wanted this committee to work in a spirit of freedom", explained Minister Darcos. "The commission is to turn in its report at the end of the year."

Michel Rocard who was Mitterand's prime minister from 1988 to 1991, insists that this move does not make him into a fugitive from socialism, and he refuses to become a symbol of openness. "When an executive decides to seek the advice of the opposition and to get as exhaustive an idea as possible on some subject, it's a democrat's duty to accept," he declared to Le Monde. (...)

This appointment extends President Sarkozy's policy of openness that began with the hiring of Bernard Kouchner, Eric Besson, Jean-Pierre Jouyet, Jean-Marie Bockel and Fadela Amara.

President Sarkozy also recruited Jack Lang, Jacques Attali, and Hubert Védrine to sit on other evaluation committees on institutional reform, economic growth and France's role in the world, respectively.

After the announcement of Rocard's appointment, Mehdi Ouraoui, national delegate of the Socialist Party, wondered if these socialists "had not gone mad."

"Sarkozy has hit us so hard on the head that some of us no longer know their right from their left," he wrote at his blog.

He recalled that not so long ago, the former prime minister, whom he considers as "manifestly disoriented", called Nicolas Sarkozy "a public danger."

Michel Rocard, who had appointed centrists and apolitical personalities to his government in 1988, said last week that the "Socialist Party did not have many years left as a governing entity." The Party "was born in 1905 in a state of ambiguity that has never been clarified: it still doesn't know if it should accept a market economy or if it wants to break completely," he affirmed.

The article closes by saying that in July Michel Rocard admitted that he had asked Ségolène Royal to withdraw from the presidential race in favor of himself, explaining to Paris-Match that it was one way of avoiding defeat. In the same article he said he was alarmed at the economic and financial policies of the new President.

Playing The Role

Nicolas Sarkozy may be fond of Turks and seek a close association with them, but he doesn't want to have anything to do with the people of Brittany. At least that is what is revealed in a new book by French author Yasmina Reza who accompanied him on his presidential campaign. Numerous websites are talking about the remarks he made last May, as related by Ms. Reza. This version is from Yves Daoudal:

It was May 1. Between the first and second rounds, the candidate wanted to render homage to "the French who work, even on May 1" (French Labor Day). And so he went to the CROSS of Corsen, at Plouarzel.

Note: A CROSS is a regional center for surveillance and rescue operations. There are 15 of them in France. The one in Plouarzel manages the coastline from Mont-Saint-Michel to Penmarc'h Point, using radar to monitor the traffic of some 200 ships that every day sail past the port of Ouessant.

The guards of the Corsen CROSS were honored by this visit. But off camera, Nicolas Sarkozy violently lashed out at his campaign director: "What the hell am I doing in a dreary center of operations, looking at radar equipment? Who had this crazy idea?... I don't give a damn about the Bretons. I'm going to be with ten morons looking at a map! (...) The last days of my campaign in a room looking at a map! Great political sense, really!..." (...)

There are two readers' comments to Daoudal's post:

- Sarkozy's mental stability is precarious. Subject to violent uncontrolled anger, and sudden depression, he has long since gone beyond his level of incompetence. (...)

- Yes, I agree completely. Watching TV, which rarely gives us authentic images, you can see the mask of this man twisted with tics and the body that gesticulates like that of a madman, no exaggeration! A Chirac, a Mitterand, who were great actors, usually knew how to give the appearance of statesmen in control of themselves and who spoke correctly. Sarkozy is vulgar, and seems like a disjointed puppet or marionnette (...)

Sarkozy is Chirac, only worse!

A candidate is apt to say many incriminating things during a campaign, if he is tired or if he feels mistakes have been made. Furthermore, Yasmina Reza's motives for writing this may not be of the highest order, but none of that matters. Nicolas Sarkozy is supposed to have said to her "Even if you demolish me, you will elevate me."

Yasmina Reza is world famous for her long-running plays and the many drama awards she has won. I have to admit I have not read her. There is a lively and informative article by Elaine Sciolino in the New York Times introducing the gossipy new book entitled Dawn, Evening or Night, and discussing the relationship between Sarkozy and Reza. It paints the picture of a man who is very much an easily-bored child of the '60's, craving attention, and uninterested in his countrymen and their past. Click here.

If you read the NYT article you will see that for Yasmina Reza Sarkozy is a "gifted actor with a compulsion to control his own universe in a grand battle against the passage of time." This contrasts somewhat with the opinions stated above that he is a bad actor. But everyone seems to agree that he is an actor.

The Times article also links to excerpts from the book in rather awkward translations by the New York Times. The book was only released in France this week, so a better translation will no doubt be forthcoming.

Those who prefer to read about Reza in French can visit La République des Lettres.

The photo of Sarkozy visiting the people of Brittany on May 1 is from the archives of David Ademas. The accompanying article may be of interest to readers of French, as it describes the reactions of the Bretons to his remarks. Some find them inexcusable, others try to look at the total picture of a man fatigued from too much campaigning.

Gang War In Paris

There was violence at the Gare du Nord on Sunday evening, with repercussions spilling over into Monday and Tuesday, in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. Some are calling it guerilla warfare.

I was not able to find a clear photo of the latest violence, but if you click here, there is a brief video that will give you an idea of the barbarity that occurred on Rue Blanche.

The report I'm giving is based on an article in Nouvel Observateur. I don't know if this was widely reported, since a perfunctory check at Le Figaro and Yahoo led nowhere:

Thirty people were arrested during the night of Monday August 27 to Tuesday August 28, in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, after "fights and armed violence" between rival gangs.(...) Six individuals, primarily from the department of Hauts-de-Seine were held by the PUP, the neighborhood urban police, who saw this outbreak as a consequence of the incident at the Gare du Nord on Sunday.

Two persons were slightly wounded, apparently with side-arms, during a fight inside the Gare du Nord, early Sunday evening. Three persons were arrested and held.

The same two gangs were assumed to be involved in Monday night's melée, one from Hauts-de-Seine, the other a local gang from the 18th arrondissement, "where it does its thing," explained the police.

The incident unfolded near Pigalle where about 50 youth armed with machetes and axes confronted each other. (...)

The police do not know precisely what the motives of these confrontations are and have opened an inquiry on "voluntary armed violence."

Compare that bland report with this one from Novopress:

Scores of "young people" met in a confrontation at Place Pigalle during the night of August 27-28. In all, almost 150 thugs might be implicated in these very violent clashes. (...) According to witnesses, Place Pigalle filled up instantly, around 1:00 a.m., with scores of hooded youth armed with clubs, hammers and even machetes, (...) Passers-by and drivers were also violently assailed.

A video showing part of the incident is online. The amateur filmmaker says: "With baseball bats and with support posts ("béquilles"), they rip up everything in their path: cars, motor-bikes, trash cans... And they shout, "We're heading for Saint-Lazaire!"

Fortunately, the fierce Captain Sarkozy, swashbuckler of security, after several years as minister of the interior, is now leading this country where ghetto gangs regularly sow terror in our big cities and in Paris... Otherwise there would really be reason for worry...

In this related video we see the TV news report of the violence, where it is referred to as "American-style violence." However they are quick to point out that it hasn't reached the same level of intensity as our American riots. (Note: you may have to click "plein écran" to get the video to work.)

Mutilated Treasures of Laon

An extremely beautiful statue of Christ in a church in the city of Laon was mutilated in such a way as to make a vulgar gesture. The photo above shows the hand where a finger was chopped off, no doubt deliberately.

Click here to see a full-size image of the statue.

Le Conservateur reports:

How could anyone not see in this magnificent 16th century Christ from the abbey-church of Saint-Martin de Laon, who is "giving us the finger", the result of a deliberate mutilation?

Judging from the numerous felt-marker inscriptions, variously insulting or idiotic, in the last chapel on the left of the cathedral, the youth of Laon are indeed capable of this sort of vandalism, as stupid as it is futile, that makes animals appear to be more civilized than men. Perhaps they take after their ancestors, who dealt a fatal blow to the sculpted heritage of this city, as you can see from these magnificent 13th century sculptures at the entrance to the abbey.

Note: The figures he is referring to are also illustrated under the images of the Christ.

Note also that he is referring to two different churches: the abbey-church Saint-Martin de Laon, and the cathedral of Laon.

Still, I heartily recommend that you visit this city, one of the most beautiful in France, and the richest in historical monuments (almost 90 on a hill the size of one arrondissement of Paris). A heritage that is also threatened by a lack of credit and the economic decline afflicting this small provincial town, like so many others.

Top photo of the abbey-church of Saint Martin de Laon is from L'Internaute, where you can view a series of 12 photos of the city.

A Close Association

The websites are talking about another statement on Turkey by President Sarkozy. His latest remarks are not new, but the fact that he keeps repeating them is an indication of where his priorities lie. Yahoo has the Reuters report:

France will not oppose the opening of new negotiations between Turkey and the European Union relating to the eventual entry of Turkey in the EU, provided that an inquiry be conducted on the terms for enlarging the Union and its missions, said President Sarkozy.

"If this essential inquiry on the future of our Union is undertaken by the 27 member nations, France will not oppose the negotiations between the EU and Turkey that are to take place in the months and years to come," said the French president addressing the 15th Conference of Ambassadors.

These new discussions must, he stressed, "be compatible with the two visions of future relations between Europe and Turkey, i.e., membership in the EU, or as close an association as possible."

During his victorious presidential campaign, Nicolas Sarkozy had declared that he would oppose Turkish membership in the EU.

This news has aroused fears that the day is not far off when Turkey becomes a "European" country. Judging from what I read at many websites, the most realistic view is that the die is already cast.

It isn't clear what Nicolas Sarkozy means by a "close association", but it is clear that he accepts Turkey as much more than a trading partner or a tourist attraction. A close association implies an alliance, with attendant loyalties and military implications.

A follow-up article in Yahoo describes the satisfaction felt by the European Commission towards Sarkozy's position:

"The European Commission welcomes the comments of President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is demonstrating loyalty and respect for commitments (...) concerning negotiations on membership," declared spokesman Amadeu Altafa (...)

This adjustment in President Sarkozy's position was welcomed with satisfaction by Brussels.

The Commission was studying the proposal, made by the French president, to create, before the year's end, a "committee of 10 to 12 experts" who would evaluate the future of the European project on the horizon of 2020-2030, an evaluation considered by Nicolas Sarkozy as "essential", added the spokesman.

Easy Marks

The newspaper clipping above, written by Caroline Brizard in the paper edition of Nouvel Observateur, was posted at several websites and generated much reaction. It reads:

Whites Are Easily Ripped Off

When a technical high-school in Seine-Saint-Denis let out, a small group of students conversed: "These vandals tear up the place," explains one of the girls. "They attack whites because they are easy to rip off, because they're bourgeois and they're afraid. When you tell them to hand over their cell phone, they do it, without defending themselves. Maybe these whites had a tough time making money, but, compared to us they are better educated, not like the Arabs. When THEY are attacked they defend themselves. But Arabs and blacks don't steal from each other. We stick together, maybe because we're immigrants."

The past feeds the anger of Awa, a Senegalese girl, 19 years old: "The whites have caused the blacks too much suffering. We can never forget slavery. Maybe that's why everything white is our enemy."

"If they hadn't sold us, Africa would be rich today. They robbed us of our wealth, we're going to tear up the place until they've had enough," says her friend spitefully, a girl from Mali, born in France, but who feels like a "kimphe", an African. We're here to make money, and then go back.

Amor Patriae posted an angry response:

Are the French racists? Clearly those who are born into immigrant families are. To call them "French" is more than offensive to the real French population. These "parasites" really have no business staying in our beautiful country.

Note how Nouvel Observateur, left-wing rag that it is, speaks of "anger" to describe remarks which, if spoken by a white person with regard to people of color, would be considered as almost criminal, entailing judicial and moral consequences. (...)

Le Conservateur also weighs in on this topic:

Not only these "bringers of good fortune" do not want to be French, contrary to the official line hammered into us by the media, but they don't even know their own history. It was the Africans who sold their brothers to European traders, since they were already accustomed to selling them to the Bedouin traders on the Muslim market. Furthermore, if colonization did not empty Africa of its riches - and what would these riches be? - it did not make the West rich either, as serious historians have demonstrated.

I would like to take these "young persons" at their word. Personally, I'm convinced that they won't go back, and that they will even bring their families here to enjoy "France, land of welcome." What other country could offer them the housing, education and free medicine, and, as a bonus, an official ideology that makes them perpetual victims, with the many advantages that carries with it?

We should mention that this ideology is the result, in part, of the teaching of history as it is practiced in France. Official post-68 history depicts a world where whites have no worth, no accomplishments to their credit. On the other hand, their crimes are innumerable. This Sartre-inspired anti-Western concept, still in vogue today, was conceived at the outset for a white public whose minds had to be radicalized, and was not meant to be taught to immigrants. Who could have imagined, in the '60's, that between 10 and 15 million immigrants would enter France within a few decades? For the whites, it has been a disaster. Using lies, inaccuracies, and obvious exaggerations the "little white guys" have been turned against their own culture, their country and their own ancestors. In the ears of the immigrants, the "white bastard" type of language increases terribly the effects of a natural resentment that is more or less founded. In truth, it forbids all integration, and contributes to the creation of an explosive situation... that the leftists will then blame on those right-wing s.o.b.'s such as yours truly, whom they will accuse of practicing discrimination, and preaching hatred. A vicious circle.

How will all of this end? The plans of the governing elite to "mix" massively the blood of France is not the solution, for an uprooted people, world soccer champions though they be, still do not constitute a national community. If you drown peoples' identities, they return stronger and more virulent than ever. This is called "Balkanization". The notion of "tabula rasa" or "new man" does not exist. Tortured, uprooted, man who is a cultural animal, becomes once again bestial.

For those who read French there is a longer version of the newspaper clipping at Racisme Anti-Blanc.

Invitation From Vendée

One piece of potentially important news is the invitation extended to Nicolas Sarkozy by Philippe de Villiers to visit him in Puy-du-Fou, in Vendée, the department governed by the leader of the MPF. An article from Marianne gives a brief recapitulation of the events leading up to this invitation:

Can the MPF (Movement for France) meld with Sarkozy's politics? After a virulent presidential campaign against the UMP candidate, Philippe de Villiers, who was not able to go beyond 2.23% of the votes in the first round, ended up asking his constituents to vote for Nicolas Sarkozy in the second round. At the same time he sealed an agreement with UMP that would allow his two deputies to keep their seats in the National Assembly during the legislative elections. It was a compromise born of political realism at a moment when his coffers were empty. But today the man from Vendée is going even further: he has just invited the President to his fief at Puy-du-Fou, at the end of August.

However it appears that many loyal followers of de Villiers are asking themselves questions:

What has become of the values and the choices defended by their leader? "We have deep differences with the UMP. The question of Europe for example. How can we allow a simplified treaty that is nothing other than a Constitution in disguise? Also we are very attached to certain social values relevant to homosexuality or religion, for example," said Edouard Delorme, a leader of the MPF from Lot-et-Garonne. "For the moment I'm still very attached to Philippe de Villiers. At any rate, in a small party like ours, there is no place for different factions. We are here because we have convictions. If no one defends them, we have to take our responsibilities." By defecting from the party...

The invitation to Puy-du-Fou is like a poker gamble. If the President answers favorably, Philippe de Villiers will immediately reap some publicity benefits. But if the reverse happens, the slap in the face will be violent: the boss of Puy-du-Fou would lose on two fronts: his political base and the media. At Elysée the invitation was acknowledged but the unbearable suspense goes on until Nicolas Sarkozy makes his decision. He may be wondering if openness to the Right is compatible with openness to the Left. Who wouldn't feel that way, in his place?

Note: Puy-du-Fou is one of France's major attractions. Conceived and executed by Philippe de Villiers and his staff, it is a huge theme park devoted to recreating French history, a little like Williamsburg, but on a grand scale. The photo shows the recreation of a joust from the time of the Hundred Years' War.

Judging The Mentally Ill

Another story relevant to legal reform concerns Nicolas Sarkozy's proposal to judge as criminals those who have been declared "not criminally responsible."

This proposal, which would involve primarily the judging of the mentally ill, aroused a tsunami of criticism from the magistrates' unions.

Nouvel Observateur has a substantial report which I'm abridging:

On a visit to Bayonne (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), the President met with the families of the two nurses' aides killed by a mental patient armed with a sabre, in December 2004, in the psychiatric hospital of Pau. In this case, the State prosecutor requested a "psychiatric" acquittal for the alleged perpetrator, Romain Dupuy, who remains hospitalized.

"If the law has to evolve, I am ready to make it evolve," explained Mr. Sarkozy, who has asked his Minister of Justice Rachida Dati "to reflect and examine closely this matter."

French law stipulates that "a person afflicted with a psychic or neuropsychic disorder, at the time of the event, is not criminally responsible, having abolished his (her) discernment and control over his (her) actions."

Already in 2003, Minister of Justice Dominique Perben had aroused a storm of controversy when he proposed a trial that would declare a mentally ill person as the author of his acts, without assigning punishment. "Simply because a penalty has no meaning in the case of the mentally ill is not a reason for avoiding the criminal act and abandoning the victim," he had said.

Four years later the reactions are every bit as strong. For Bruno Thouzellier, president of the USM (Magistrates' Union), "if one is judged when one is not responsible, that means that one cannot be convicted." He said that a trial would be one more trauma and would not profit anybody. He also said that justice is not there to help the victims through their grief, deploring the mixing together of psychological, personal and judicial notions.

Laurence Mollaret, vice-president of the SM (a left-wing union) denounced "an aberration and a derailing of the criminal process." She said it was a policy of compassion, where the primary goal of the justice system would be to allow the victims to grieve. She added that no one can ask the justice system to do everything and anything, stressing that the purpose of the criminal justice system is to "verify that there really was a crime, and to determine the guilt of the perpetrator."

Furthermore she noted that there are fewer and fewer cases of persons declared not responsible, and more and more trials of persons who would have been considered insane a few years ago.

Lawyer Eric Dupond-Moretti, who wants to do away with the ideology of victimization and demagogery, said angrily that to judge the mentally ill would be "a return to the Middle Ages", a "senseless thing contrary to all principles."

Another article picks up the story with these comments from Rachida Dati, who emphasizes that the victims must be given satisfaction:

"They have been working on this problem since 2003. Reports have been written. There is more work to be done, but the injury to the families also has to be recognized publicly, so that they can grieve."

The Minister of Justice confirmed that she had met that morning with the families of the nurses' aides from Pau who were killed by a mental patient in the psychiatric hospital in 2004.

It was after meeting the families that Sarkozy decided to reopen the discussion on judgments for the mentally ill.

"These worthy families are not asking for vengeance," said Rachida Dati. "They want to be heard, they want justice, it was important to listen to their suffering. When they are told there is an acquittal ("non-lieu"), that means that the event did not take place," she stressed.

Question: How did a mental patient get hold of a sabre?

Note: It sounds odd to my ears when they say that the families cannot grieve until a judgment has been passed. The families have been grieving for three years. Apparently this is the purely legal way of explaining that "officially" grief can begin only when a crime has been acknowledged and the criminal designated.

Finally, it also sounds strange to hear left-wing judges deploring the "ideology of victimization", when they are, for the most part, the originators of that ideology.

In the photo Sarkozy is flanked by Rachida Dati and Minister of Health Roselyne Bachelot.

Monitoring Sex Offenders

There is a lot of news on the judicial front, most of it at this point is inconclusive, since the debates on new laws or changes to existing ones will take place this Fall in Parliament.

Minister of Justice Rachida Dati and President Sarkozy are talking tough following the recent sexual assault on a little boy by a known sex offender, Francis Evrard, who had been released from prison.

But we have to put this "tough talk" into perspective. When it comes to sex offenses, be it rape of adults, or assaults on children, there is almost no hope of permanent rehabilitation. Therefore, to release such persons from confinement, even under surveillance, is an exercise in futility.

An article in Nouvel Observateur summarizes Rachida Dati's instructions to the State prosecutors:

Rachida Dati has asked all State prosecutors to exercise "greater vigilance" regarding the release of sex offenders, according to a communiqué issued by the Ministry of Justice on Friday August 24.

Earlier, on August 22, 2007, she had sent instructions concerning the "release of any person convicted of a crime for which judicial surveillance was required, most notably the perpetrators of rapes and sex offenses to minors."

She asked that there be a close examination of the conditions surrounding the future release of prisoners who constitute an obvious danger and an elevated risk of recidivism.

She also asked that no reduction in the additional penalty for refusing to go to rehab while incarcerated be granted.

Finally, she urged the prosecutors to see to it that names be recorded in the national automated registry of sex offenders (FIJAIS) and the national automated registry of genetic imprints (FNAEG). Should the detainee refuse to allow a DNA sample to be taken, she urged the application of those provisions of the law that "nullify any reduction of penalty and forbid the granting of any new reduction of penalty."

Question: How can a prisoner refuse to give his DNA? Do they ask him for his consent? Prisoners were never entitled to refuse to give their fingerprints. Why is it different for DNA?

The prosecutors must also seek automatically an expert opinion regarding the danger level of any convict preceding his release, "so that judicial surveillance can be considered." If danger to society is confirmed, and if the convict is capable of taking rehab, then the prosecutors must request judicial surveillance, along with an injunction to enter rehab therapy, UNLESS the judge decides otherwise!

Before we judge this double talk too severely it must be remembered that she is outlining basic but temporary protocols, while waiting for definitive laws to be passed. Once the laws are passed, the final protocols should eliminate any ambivalence regarding the penalties for sex offenders.

On a related issue, another Nouvel Obs report announces that the sentencing board of the city of Caen has decided to delay by 30 days the release of a pedophile who openly boasted that he was going to do do much worse than Francis Evrard.

Claire Diwo, alternate State prosecutor of Caen, explained that the decision was based on the discovery of incriminating pictures in the cell of Martial Leconte. Leconte, age 42, was sentenced in March 1998 to 14 years in prison by the criminal court of Gironde for the rape of an 11-year old girl. He was scheduled for release with judicial and social surveillance, plus an order to stay in therapy until 2011.

Note: By "social" I assume they mean either a social worker or a psychologist would monitor him.

The delay was a consequence of instructions issued by the Minister of Justice.

Note: TF1 reports that pedophile Francis Evrard, mentioned at the beginning of this post, was given a prescription for Viagra while he was still incarcerated. He told the prison doctor he wanted to have relations with women, and apparently the doctor could not find it in his heart to refuse. Unbelievable!

Fanny Truchelut - Update

About a year ago I reported on an incident in the department of les Vosges, in eastern France, where the owner of a bed-and-breakfast type of hostel attempted to enforce French laws regulating the separation of Church and State when she asked two female Muslim boarders to remove their headscarves in the public rooms, i.e., the large TV rooms and dining halls of the hostel.

A lawsuit initiated by MRAP was filed against the owners, Fanny Truchelut and her husband. Philippe de Villiers immediately offered his legal services. It has now been announced that the trial begins on October 2.

An e-mail that I received via Terre et Peuple (Land and People), a nationalist website, relates the series of misfortunes that have befallen Fanny since the incident a year ago.

Whatever one thinks of the wisdom of her act, it was surely something that could have been settled out of court. At the time, many felt that MRAP had set the whole thing up. If this is true, then there is no way they would settle out of court.

Here is the text of the e-mail, in which Fanny, speaking to whomever will listen, describes her situation:

Hello,

It's been one year - August 11, 2006 - since my story began. You followed the beginning and you supported me.

The initial shock lasted 3 months. That is now a thing of the past.

I have remained silent on this matter, awaiting word on whether or not there would be a trial.

I have remained silent also because this affair has caused me to stop my work at the hostel, as of the end of 2006.

I have remained silent also because my husband left me, and I have started divorce proceedings. I have partially moved out.

Today I am being sued for 3 infractions in accordance with 3 articles of law.

Note: here the numbers of the articles of law are enumerated.

These infractions concern:

A refusal to provide a good or a service,

1) due to the origin, whether belonging to it or not belonging to it, of an ethnicity or a determined nationality, on grounds that two women were wearing the veil

2) due to one's belonging, or not belonging, to a determined race, on grounds that two women were wearing the veil

3) due to one's belonging, or not belonging, to a determined religion, on grounds that two women were wearing the veil

I am in great need, first of all, of online information. I no longer have daily access to the family computer. It could be a gift or a sale at a modest price.

I'm going to have financial needs, the lawyers' fees are being assumed by the MPF of Philippe de Villiers, but the related fees are my responsibility. I already owe 1000 euros today.

If you cannot help me financially, send me, have someone send me, e-mails informing the court of our resistance and of our determination to have laws passed on this question.

If you know people in the region, inform them, perhaps they can come to the trial.

Cordially,

Fanny Truchelut

P.S. I am 54 and I have 4 children.

If anyone is interested in contacting her, the following is provided:

fanny.truchelut@gmail.com

Readers of French can check out the story at Islamisation or at Bafweb.

Caroline Aigle

I'm posting this because it is so unusual. I have no special interest in women being fighter pilots, but could not help but feel sadness at her death.

As usual, it is Le Salon Beige that provides a concise report:

Squadron Commander Caroline Aigle died on August 21 of an aggressively spreading cancer, at age 32. Caroline Aigle had been the first woman licensed to be a fighter pilot in 1999. After serving in squadron 2/2 "Côte d'Or", in Dijon, for six years, she was sent to Metz to be in charge of flight security. Caroline Aigle had 1600 hours of flying time to her credit, essentially on the Mirage 2000.

Married to a fighter pilot, Caroline Aigle was the mother of two little children, Marc and Gabriel.

The daughter of a military doctor, Caroline Aigle had done her studies at the military high-school of Saint-Cyr before entering Technical School, and then the Air Force Academy. Very athletic, she was also French champion and military champion of triathlon.

The Air Force has opened a blog for those wishing to express their condolences.

May she rest in peace.

What could have happened? To be struck down by an unstoppable cancer at age 32 is unusual, isn't it? Or is it? She was the picture of health, but her immune system failed her completely. The cancer was detected one month ago.

Her name "Aigle" means "Eagle". If that is her maiden name, I can't help wondering if it inspired her to fly.

"This Attitude Of Contempt..."

On August 20 I received an e-mail from Google Group Via-Resistancia, with news of Jean-Marie Le Pen's latest remarks on Islam, Israel and Sarkozy. The e-mail used an article in La Gazette du Maroc, a Moroccan weekly, as its source. I have not succeeded in locating an online version of the article, and even though I always prefer to provide a link, I will assume Via-Resistancia is reporting accurately.

At any rate, there is little that's new in these remarks. What is noteworthy is that after all he and his party have been through, after the defeats of April 22 and June 10, and despite the defections from the Front National, he is still making sure that the national Right remains divided. His devilish urge to be provocative has not withered with age:

(...) Invited to spend his vacation in the Kingdom of Morocco by a "Moroccan family" who are "close friends", Jean-Marie Le Pen seized the occasion to give his viewpoint on some matters of international politics, in another of his "muscular" interviews, this time with the French-language weekly "La Gazette du Maroc."

Notably, the leader of the Front National stated his hostility to any strike against Iran. "I don't see why anyone would want to prevent Iran from having a technology that is strictly for civil use," he affirmed with false candor, as if Ahmadinejab's Iran would limit its ambitions to "strictly civil" purposes.

Then, admitting implicitly that the stakes are indeed in the realm of the military, he qualified as "absurd, those who forbid Iran from developing nuclear energy while being themselves in possession of the atomic bomb. It's unbelievable. This attitude of contempt and of domination over people is inadmissible."

Le Pen also took the time to praise the "admirable" Persian civilization and the virtues of Islam, that he called "a great monotheistic religion."

As he did on the eve of the Gulf War in 1990 or the American interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq in 2001 and 2003, he once again promised the apocalypse of a "third world war", in the event of "armed conflict with Iran." "No one can predict where such an armed conflict would end," he warned, adding that "the price of oil could go beyond $300, with all the consequences to the world's economy."

Finally, of course, Le Pen couldn't resist taking another swipe at Israel. As is his want, he criticized the policies of Israel and what he sees as "softness" on the part of the international community, using all the usual false associations. "Israel cannot continue to occupy territories that don't belong to her," he hurled, in a long diatribe against the Jewish State, all the while expressing his support for Palestinian terrorism, that he called "resistance" (a confusion of vocabulary linked no doubt to his "particular" vision of the Second World War).

Concerning the conflict in Western Sahara, he declared that he "understood" the proposal by Morocco on autonomy, because "I was myself for a French Algeria." "I had hoped that the young Muslims of Algeria would be the spokesmen for the French flag in the Arab and Muslim world," he stressed.

During the last presidential campaign he had used this argument when he invited the youth of the ghettoes to join him.

Questioned about the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, he responded: "He's pro-American, a Zionist, and pro-European Union. Everything that I am not."

But we've known that for a long time...

I was going to write a long commentary, but I think I'll hold back. There are so many contradictions, inanities and lies it may be better not to touch it. Anyway, he has said all this before.

Suffice it to say this man was never the patriot people thought he was, and the French were not only the dupes of Giscard, and Mitterand, and Chirac, and now Sarkozy, they were also the dupes of Jean-Marie Le Pen, a specialist in cruel farces.

French leaders really do have a "thing" for the Arabs. And they really do look down on their own. Talk about an "attitude of contempt..."

Spanish Parents Rebel

I rarely post news from Spain. There is a website called Toasted Bread that keeps up with Spanish events. But this item from Le Salon Beige caught my eye:

A new subject called "An Education in Citizenship" will be taught in all Spanish schools beginning this year. This compulsory subject has as its goal the formation of the moral conscience of the pupils, according to the organization Ethics Professionals. The organization has succeeded in isolating some of the objectives to be taught: different family realities, overcoming homophobic prejudices, refusal of sexual discrimination, the moral dimension of human beings, moral pluralism and the refusal of ethical intolerance... a typical socialization process.

Independent of the content, the organization denounces this new subject matter which:

"is itself founded on the idea of moralizing and indoctrinating. For this reason many parents turned in their subject selection forms with the notation of conscientious objector, so that their children not take this subject."

Luis Carbonel, president of Concapa (National Catholic Confederation of Fathers and Fathers of Pupils) declared that:

"To oppose this subject matter is an obligation for any responsible family. It is a question of freedom, of the defense of the fundamental and superior right to educate our children according to our principles. (...) The government uses the subject matter to usurp the role of parents and to educate the consciences of our children as if they were theirs (...) More and more families are opposed to the arrogance of a government that claims to colonize the souls of our children, that is opposed to discussion, that seeks only to impose it's own model of a citizen, insensitive to the value of freedom and dignity that each person deserves."

Note: I added the words "subject selection" to clarify the word "forms" because that seemed plausible. But it could be some other type of form.

According to a webpage I happened upon, home-schooling is not allowed in Spain.

Reconstructing The Right

For all of last year the fate of France seemed to be in the hands of the nationalist Right, composed of different factions, primarily the National Front (FN), the National Republican Movement (MNR), and the Movement for France (MPF), headed by Jean-Marie Le Pen, Bruno Mégret and Philippe de Villiers respectively.

By the time the elections were over, and the dust had settled, the national Right was in splinters, with de Villiers camped on the fringes of Sarkozy's majority, Mégret in financial difficulty, and Le Pen living in a world all his own, still the sole leader of the FN, determined not to share power with anyone, except his own daughter, Marine. Marine, however, is still taxed with the electoral defeat, for it was she, and not her father, who refused the "patriotic union" with Mégret.

Nicolas Bay, the general secretary of the National Republican Movement (MNR) said in an interview with Minute that the Right must unite. Here are a few excerpts:

NB - (...) The current situation of our political party requires that we not repeat our past errors, that we give priority to the renewal and remobilization of the national Right.

Minute - What concrete proposals have you made to the various secretaries of the FN?

NB - We have proposed, specifically, that in the municipal elections (2008), our candidates run on a unified ticket. This will allow us to run for office in a maximum number of cities. You must remember one thing: considering the current state of the rank and file of the FN, the MNR and the MPF, in most cities, either there will be a unified ticket or there won't be any ticket at all.

Minute - Do you think that Philippe de Villiers' Movement for France can participate in such a union?

NB - During the legislative elections, we concluded a minimal electoral agreement with the MPF in 70 voting districts. It was a first step. Now it is up to the MPF to settle its internal differences and to clearly choose its position: either it will be a partner of the UMP, or it will break with the establishment. In the second case, an agreement is still possible. (...)

Minute - the MNR is calling for a union, but what is left of the MNR, which no longer benefits from public subsidies since the legislative elections?

NB - Yes, the fact that we no longer get subsidies is a tough call but it will not prevent us from pursuing our goal (...) We proved our vitality in the legislative elections and our capacity for mobilization, for despite the very modest electoral results, one fact is certain: the MNR along with the FN and the MPF is one of three groups capable of lining up 400 candidates and 400 alternates. (...)

Minute: How do you intend to win back the voters who turned away from the national Right?

NB - Contrary to some members of the FN who think that the voters will automatically return to the fold when they become disenchanted with Sarkozy, I think that an electoral re-conquest requires the national Right to become attractive once again. The MNR is going to take a series of initiatives along these lines, notably by encouraging a coming-together of all the components of our political family. This reunion of course will include the FN, the MNR and if possible the MPF, but also less well-known persons and organizations (...)

Jean-Marie Le Pen today is clearly facing a decision: either he satisfies only the political ambitions of his daughter, or he tries to unite the nationalists as he was able to do on numerous occasions in the past.

His generous statements about Le Pen are probably for the sake of diplomacy. Recently on a trip to Morocco, Le Pen extolled the greatness of Islam, and repeated his belief that Iran has as much right to the bomb as anybody, adding that Nicolas Sarkozy is an "Atlantist" (i.e. pro-American), a Europeanist (i.e. pro-European Union), and a Zionist.

Well, at least one of the three accusations is accurate.

It is hard to imagine either de Villiers or Mégret going along with this maniac. Any effective union of the Right will have to eliminate Le Pen the man, if not his platform.

I hope to post more about Le Pen's statements in the coming days.

The photo shows Mégret and Le Pen announcing to the press the ill-fated patriotic union.

On Neo-Paganism

This post was set to be appended to the previous item on cemetery vandalism, but because of its length, a separate post seemed more appropriate.

An article from June 27 posted by Le Conservateur discussed the topic of neo-paganism in France. As far as I can tell, neo-pagans are a small group of fiercely nationalistic ex-Christians, whose intense identity with their ethnic group, their region, their soil, have led them into inevitable isolation from the rest of France. Their reasons for rejecting Christianity are not clear, but from some of their comments it is the liberal side of the Church, and especially Vatican II, that repelled them to the point of complete rupture. Moreover, Christ was a Jew, and many neo-pagans are anti-Semitic, a trait they share with Jean-Marie Le Pen, whom they supported until recently when the more discerning among them realized that even he was not out to save traditional France.

There is much on the web about paganism, neo-paganism, Celtic paganism, etc... I'm confining this post to the Christian point of view in the context of the recent acts of vandalism:

We now know a bit more about the three terrorists who vandalized and destroyed forever a part of our heritage - in particular a 16th century church and its wooden statuary. Ranging in age from 21 to 22 years, they were young neo-pagans.

These enlightened ones claim they are defending Breton traditions and Druidism in general, which they see as threatened by Christianity. (...)

It happens that I know personally some people who hold similar opinions. Attributing all the evil in the world to Christianity, especially the disappearance of Druidism with its "very advanced ideas", they feed on a whole body of literature that is in no way scientific. One part of this world openly pays court to the neo-Nazi extreme-Right, adopting part of its rhetoric, in particular the hatred of Christianity and the need to return to pre-Christian culture and morals.

In the next paragraph Le Conservateur discusses what they read and why it is invalid. In truth, he says, little or nothing is known about Gallic paganism or Druidism. Much of the "information" is fictionalized.

Finally, let us briefly recall why paganism was harmful: lacking respect for human life, it did not carry any moral. The gods were the first ones to transgress the rules, to kill, to rape, to put on disguises in order to trick men. If the religion of the Greeks implied that every crime resulted in punishment, barring reparation, it nonetheless subjected men to the arbitrariness of the Olympic tyrants. Furthermore, it imposed on men a terrible yoke: that of fate. Fatalism, marching in concert with the obsession for omens and the recourse to diviners, limited men's freedom and reduced their initiatives to naught. Triumphant, Christianity abolished these liberty-destroying heresies.

Let us return for a moment to neo-Celtic esoterism. I accuse Official History, that, by burdening Christianity with the responsibility for all the evils of the world in order to justify the French Republic, engenders these sorts of criminal aberrations. On a smaller scale, historical fiction, very much in fashion today, like the Da Vinci Code, or Kaameloot which claims, contrary to the historical truth, that Celtic Brittany was Christianized by Inquisitors, has ties to this criminal neo-paganism, because it nourishes the very ignorance that it feeds on. When M6 and Hollywood are substituted for the historical truth, the Pandora's box of extremism is opened.

We still don't know what penalty these criminals will suffer for their irreparable crime against our heritage and our memory. I fear it will be derisory.

Note: M6 is a private TV channel that has been showing a series called Kaameloot (or Kaamelott). I have not seen any of it, but in past articles, Le Conservateur has voiced serious objections to the way Christians are depicted. He has also received quite a bit of feedback from readers, both positive and negative.

Image of the Druid Tree from Faerie Keeper.

Update: January 2011 - A slight modification was made in the opening paragraph. Instead of "neo-pagans are virulently anti-Semitic", I substituted "many neo-pagans are anti-Semitic". I did this after receiving a comment printed below. The original sentence was a generalization that I cannot prove at this time. It was based on websites I was consulting at the time and comments from readers who were virulently anti-Semitic. It is, however, reasonable to assume that people who want to return to pre-Christian Europe would be as antagonistic towards Jews as they are towards Christians. The neo-pagans I was corresponding with insisted that Christianity was hateful because it was a Semitic religion and that the only true European religion was paganism.

More Vandalism

There has been more vandalism in French cemeteries. This time, the cemetery of Terre-Cabade in Toulouse was desecrated in the same manner as the cemeteries in Bretagne were previously, i.e., by Satanic cults, who leave their calling card behind. Le Salon Beige reports:

Even though it goes back to early August, it is impossible to remain silent on the damage to the famous cemetery of Terre-Cabade in Toulouse. Twenty tombs were desecrated and as many crosses were found turned upside-down. The daily newspaper La Dépêche du Midi relates the facts and describes the concern of the residents of Toulouse at the repeated desecrations in their region (four in one month):

"Already, on June 30, 60 graves were desecrated at Croix-Daurade. The damage was spectacular: graffiti, broken flower pots, broken statues, and also those notorious upside-down crosses. Similar damage on a lesser scale had taken place in a cemetery northeast of Toulouse.

"Hence the concern of the city officials after the discovery on Saturday at Terre-Cabade: 'What if these crosses are but a warning of the next, and more destructive, foray into Terre-Cabade?' wondered an employee of the cemetery. Last July 8, 28 graves were vandalized at the Muret cemetery by mysterious nighttime visitors."

Note: Muret is an ancient town dating from the 7th century, near Toulouse.

Also, according to La Dépêche du Midi, cemetery vandalism has increased 60% since 2005.

Readers can review two of the many posts I've devoted to the destruction of Church property in France here and here.

Christians In Kosovo

I occasionally make references to Kosovo, even though it's off-topic. Eastern Europe is still Europe, and the presence of a Muslim enclave, set up and backed by Western powers, cannot be swept under the rug.

The fate of Christians in lands conquered by Islam - in particular, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, and Kosovo, is a common topic at French websites. It is a complex topic that validates the reasonableness of ethnic separation, and the unreasonableness of forcing different groups to live together in some sort of Utopian hell. There is a wealth of information on the web on Kosovo. This brief article, drawn from Valeurs Actuelles, was posted at Le Salon Beige:

Of Orthodox Christian faith, the Serbs continue to be the main victims of the interethnic hatred that reigns in Kosovo, that historic province of Serbia peopled primarily by Albanian Muslims (90% of the 2 million inhabitants). Just read the chronicle of incidents that took place in recent months: the beating of a Serbian woman in Mitrovica, a rocket attack on the monastery of Decani, the destruction of a filling station owned by a Serb in Novo Selo, the assault on a farmer in the Serbian enclave of Gojbulja. (...)

The end of June was marked by strong tensions with the traditional commemoration of the 618th anniversary of the famous battle of the Field of Blackbirds, Kosovo Polje, when the army of the Christian prince Lazar was defeated by that of Sultan Murat. the Serbs have made battle into the founding myth of their nation. They celebrated, on June 27 and 28, in calm and dignity, but with the prospect looming ahead of independence being granted by the UN, no one could hide the feeling that one of the darkest pages in their history was being reenacted.

Religious and civil authorities proclaimed their determination not to abandon Kosovo and to protect the Serbs. The evening of the 27th, after a religious ceremony dedicated to the memory of "heros fallen on the field of honor," the bishop of Raska and Prizen, Monsignor Artemije, spoke of the "interminable Golgotha of the Serbian people. The battle of Kosovo goes on so that justice and peace triumph in the end over the blindness of those who would deprive the Serbs of the cradle of their State and of their religion."

The issue for Americans is not that atrocities have been committed by all sides. The issue is: why did we take the side of the Muslims in 1999 (and still today), instead of our former allies, the Serbs?

When we went into Iraq, we expected France to join us, as a former ally. But we did not use that reasoning in Kosovo.

The photo is a view of Prizen with the main mosque in the foreground. From Wikipedia.

On a slightly different note: we had a friendly discussion on the merits (or demerits) of modern architecture at my post on vandalism at the Louvre. If you click here, you will see a photo of the library in Prishtina, Kosovo. It appears to be a conglomeration of mesh metal boxes, resembling the inside of an air-conditioner, each topped with a "dome" made from half of a volley ball, or are they styrofoam helmets? Is this supposed to be Islamic-inspired architecture, or a Westerner's idea of trash can architecture? It makes the Pyramid of the Louvre look like a classical masterpiece.

The View From CNN

At his blog Catholic writer Yves Daoudal discussed an upcoming television series on CNN called "God's Warriors". Novopress reprinted the article:

The international CNN channel is about to broadcast a "documentary" entitled "God's Warriors", in three two-hour segments, dealing with Jewish, Muslim and Christian "religious fanaticism". We are told that this is the fruit of seven months of labor by one of its "best reporters", Christiane Amanpour, who wants to show that "when piety changes into political activism, it creates an explosive mixture."

As far as the Muslim "warriors of God" were concerned, she had an embarrassment of riches.

As for Jewish "warriors of God", that's more problematical. Most of the "documentary" deals with the illegality of the Jewish settlements on Palestinian territory...

But when it comes to the Christian "warriors of God", we have a complete swindle. The great danger, CNN explains, is the religious revival. This is when we see Christians withdrawing their children from school in order not to be contaminated by the "bad ideas" of modern society. And Christiane Amanpour paints the portrait of a dreadful extremist preacher who mobilizes American adolescents against "a society where Paris Hilton is better known than Christ." A society where Christ is better known than Paris Hilton is indeed terrifying...

To place Christians who home-school their children on the same plane as Muslim terrorists, is to whose benefit? What strange propaganda from the television of "the axis of good".

The series was scheduled to be broadcast on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

The photo showing Amanpour interviewing Yehuda Etzion, a founder of the Jewish Underground terrorist group, is from Cable 360, where you can scroll down to a favorable review of the series by Seth Arenstein.

From The Horse's Mouth

In the event anyone still has high hopes that moderate Islam will prevail, be duly advised by the prime minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that there is no such thing as moderate Islam. This brief quote is from Memri Blog:

Speaking at Kanal D TV’s Arena program, PM Erdogan commented on the term “moderate Islam”, often used in the West to describe AKP and said, "These descriptions are very ugly, it is offensive and an insult to our religion. There is no moderate or immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam and that’s it.”

Now you have it on good authority.

Cachan - An Update

Exactly one year ago I published two articles on the eviction of a group of African squatters from the Cachan shelter. Cachan was actually a recycled university dorm where 1000 squatters had been living for several years. The Minister of the Interior, Nicolas Sarkozy, evicted them, in a grandstand display of toughness towards undocumented aliens, and promised to deport them.

Among the patriots, nobody was fooled. The website Vox Galliae, writer Bernard Antony and Jean-Marie Le Pen denounced the action of the Interior Minister as a fraud meant to trick the voters into the belief that a tough cop was doing his job. Predictions that no one would be deported have proven true, as this article from Identita Nostra explains:

Remember? It was one year ago today: the news about the Cachan squatters. At the time, Nicolas Sarkozy who was still campaigning for president (and serving incidentally as Interior Minister) wanted a publicity stunt and proceeded to expel the African squatters from a building in Cachan. For Sarkozy, it was a chance to play tough for the cameras and to eclipse Jean-Marie Le Pen who was rising strongly in the polls.

Sarkozy promised to clean house and expel the Africans who no longer had a valid visa.

One year later, what has become of those African illegals? It's very simple - they have almost all been amnestied. Yes, you read it correctly, they have almost all been amnestied. This bit of news was conveyed to us today by Fidel Nitiéma, spokesman for the squatters, and a former illegal himself (amnestied thanks to Sarkozy).

After drawing blood from the Front National, Nicolas Sarkozy has done the same with MRAP. Sarkozy uses the words of Le Pen, but applies the policies of Mouloud Aounit. Those voters, formerly of the FN, who on April 22 preferred to vote for Sarkozy instead of Le Pen, must be happy over this news...

Reminder: Mouloud Aounit is the head of MRAP, the Movement Against Racism and for Friendship Among Peoples, a type of civil rights group, today largely Muslim, that seeks to prosecute "racists". After the Second World War MRAP was primarily a Jewish organization whose goal was to protect Jews from anti-Semitism. MRAP became infiltrated with communists, slowly the Jews left the group and the Muslims moved in in their place.

Three posts from Galliawatch dated August 2006 may be helpful to some readers:

An analysis of Sarkozy's phony stand on immigration.

The eviction of the squatters.

The responses of Le Pen and Bernard Antony, and a list of the left-wing groups backing the squatters.