[Capt. Tom]

The opening attack came in a small hot place called Philippeville. Philippeville was a small mining center of about 130 Europeans and about 2,000 Muslims, who for years had coexisted amicably. Apparently, labor relations were extremely good with a rare degree of equality between Muslim and European.

2,000 Moderate Muslims to be sure.
As I have said before, you never know when the moderates are going to get religion.

They got it that day. - tom

[VOA]

I'm sure those Islamics were simply irritated that they couldn't easily
immigrate to France and live there in a perpetually p-ssed-off mood.
(end sarcasm)