Posted on 11/03/2005 7:54:49 AM PST by ncountylee
LE BLANC MESNIL, France (AP) - Farah, an 8-year-old budding gymnast, cried when she saw the gutted wreckage of her gym crackling with flames and spewing smoke, destroyed in the latest nighttime rampage by immigrant youths in suburban Paris.
She, her father and hundreds of other residents poured into the streets by the Les Tilleuls housing complex in the Seine-Saint-Denis region Wednesday night as firefighters and police struggled to keep order during a seventh night of riots northeast of the capital.
"It is saddening," said Farah's father, Mohammed Fawzi Kaci, 47, proudly showing a picture on his mobile phone of his shy daughter wearing tights and performing a split. "Where is she going to practice now?"
A kindergarten, a gymnasium, government offices and hundreds of cars have been torched in the past week by youths in largely immigrant areas who began rioting after two of their peers were electrocuted at a power substation while hiding from police they feared were chasing them.
As violence raged again Wednesday night, families leaned off balconies or peered through curtains to snap photographs of trucks spilling shield-carrying riot police into the streets between concrete housing towers.
Many residents said they were sympathetic to the anger of young French citizens of largely sub-Saharan and North African descent but could not understand why rioters were targeting cars and buildings in their already impoverished areas.
"They are stupid. They are destroying everything," said an 18-year-old who gave her name only as Mariam. "They should do that in southwest Paris or at the National Assembly - not here. People here are suffering already."
Christophe Berthossi, head of the Immigration and Citizenship Program at the French Institute of International Relations think tank, said France has ignored suburban neglect and discrimination for too long.
"This is an area where the unemployment rate is 20 percentage points higher than the national average," he said. "These are youths who want to integrate but do not have equal access.
"They are being sent the idea that they are not French, when they are," he said.
Suburban residents said calming the violence will take more than police force, and they accused Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy of fueling tempers by calling troublemakers "scum."
"Sarkozy's language has added oil to the fire. He should really weigh his words," said Kaci, who immigrated from Algeria. "I'm proud to live in France, but this France disappoints me."
Is that any different than what is happening in this country? A slaveowner at least had to feed the slave, clothe him,house him, get a doctor when he was sick. When the slave got old the master had to care for him. The new masser has convieniently even bypassed that.
"How long before the media calls these pukes for what they are, Muslim Terrorists?"
Never. The media and the terrorists are both part of the same thing, the worldwide organized hard left (WOHL).
Yes, the analogy to the US in the late 60's is uncanny---probably because the same organization set up both events, but the WOHL was World Communism back in the day.
It would be amusing if it weren't scary. Even the peaceful are condoning violence.
Proof positive pigs $hit in their own homes.
Nevah hoppen, mon!
I read a report this morning that the Interior Minister of France thinks that the State should fund Mosques and Muslim Associations now. (rolling eyes) It will not be long until France is under Sharia Law. Wonder how Madonna is going to cope with a burka?
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We're Know We're Dead Wrong.")
Algeria?
European culture is essentially racist. American culture is not.
They will have to have their civil war, one way or the other.
But their rebels won't be fighting for freedom or secession, but for domination.
And if you don't like it CAIR will sue to strip you of your assets and your job...and America is giving in to them all the time.
Sarkozy called "those people" "scum."
Do most people in these neighborhoods think that those among them who are destroying and burning are NOT scum?
Oh, okay. I get it now.
Does this presage riots and burnings in America when the 15 million illegals here are forced to leave? Hmmm....one has to wonder, but given the failure of the gummint to do anything about illegals except make promises they don't intend to keep, posture at every opportunity and ignore public cries for action, I don't think we have to worry about riots.
well, if you are correct..it is still a bad solution imho. The French government can just pass a law outlawing foreign sponsors and not allowing radicals to preach their hate speech in France.
When does Ramadan end? That also is being trumpeted as a time for Muslims to take this rioting to the next level.
So far, they have rarely even used the word "Muslim" in any of the news reports.
If the French government directly handles the funds for a mosque they know exactly how much money the mosque has and from what source. Likewise, if they directly vet imams, they will be able to root out extremists.
o/t, but speaking of CAIR, what is the latest on Michael Graham?
"They should do that in southwest Paris or at the National Assembly . . ."
You picked out what I think are the two most important sentences in the article. They say it all.
"When does Ramadan end? That also is being trumpeted as a time for Muslims to take this rioting to the next level."
Today..Nov. 3
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