France Sets Up Muslim Council

The Guardian (UK) ^ | 4-7-2003 | Jon Henley

[blam]

France sets up Muslim council

Jon Henley in Paris Monday April 7, 2003 The Guardian

Amid mounting fears that the US-led war against Iraq could trigger violence among France's 5 million Muslims, French Islamic leaders voted yesterday to elect the members of a new national council aimed at giving the faith's diverse factions a unified voice and represent their views to government.

Islam is the second biggest religion in France after Roman Catholicism. One recent poll showed nearly one in three of the population as a whole did not want to see an allied victory in Iraq, while a poll of French Muslims published in Le Figaro on Saturday showed that 94% of respondents disapproved of the war and 72% wanted Saddam Hussein to win.

The French Muslim council, to be known by its acronym CFCM, is seen as critical to France's efforts to satisfy the needs and expectations of its Muslim community, most of whom are relatively poor first- and second-generation immigrants from the former North African colonies of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. It is also seen as a potentially vital bulwark against the rise of Islamic fundamentalism.

A leading moderate, the rector of the Paris mosque, Dalil Boubakeur, is widely expected to become president of the new body after the second round of voting on April 13. Mr Boubakeur has warned that the war in Iraq risked creating "a new and far tougher breed of Islam" in France.

[blam]

Kiss France goodbye!

[speedy]

Bonjour, Islamic Republic of France. I long for the day when all the women in the streets of Paris are wearing burkhas.

[Samurai_Jack]

Watch out for an Islamic Court to be set up next... the Islamic Republic of France. This is the demographic suicide that Isreal was concerned about. It happened in indonesia.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Operating in a parallel universe alert.

[observer5]

Wonder when they are going to release their first FARTWA.

[RoseofTexas]

Don't laugh, this could be the USA in 20yrs or so! God Forbid!! You know the Muslim's goal is to have a MUSLIM world! I saw a clip of a muslim living in England who stated that their goal was to rise THEIR flag on top of the White House...SCARY S***!!

[Jhoffa_]

Mr Boubakeur has warned that the war in Iraq risked creating "a new and far tougher breed of Islam" in France.

I suppose these are "code words" for terrorism?

From what I have seen of French, Muslim "terrorists" thus far, if brains were dynamite they couldn't blow dust off a shelf.

[lilylangtree]

Should there be a day of mourning as the nation of France falls yet again?

[noutopia]

The French literally French kiss muslim as$.

[blam]

"I suppose these are "code words" for terrorism? "

Just think, our grandkids could be storming Normandy again.

[SouthernFreebird]

I saw a clip of a muslim living in England who stated that their goal was to rise THEIR flag on top of the White House...SCARY S***!!

Never gonna happen...... We are Americans...not frenchy poodles, we will never give up our freedoms, we'll fight down to the last American standing.....it's in our blood, it's who we are..... that is the most misunderestimated *wink* aspect of Americans by the rest of the world.

[DannyTN]

Well, it looks like the Muslim's are going to make a direct play for the control of France. This is their reward for doing supposedly what the Muslim's would have preferred them do. See what appeasement get's you?

I see France being bogged down in civil war because they refused to do the right thing. Now they have their own Muslim problem to deal with.

[B-Chan]

La France c'est mort! Vive le Islam-i Jamhuriya-e Franqistan!

Paging Charlles Martel. Your people need you.

[DannyTN]

Agreed. The only way it will happen is if the rapture occurs and the Christians are removed. Even then, I'd be surprised if it happen.

But one thing is for sure. We need to put a stop to our stupid immigration policy of encouraging people from the Middle East to come here.

[Luis Gonzalez]

France
Religions:
Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%, unaffiliated 4%

Source: CIA World Factbook 2003

[Luis Gonzalez]

It ain't like they're gonna be taking over or anything anytime soon.

Well, then again...it is France we're talking about.

[da_toolman]

Seems fitting, the religion of peace in the country of peace. They deserve each other.

[Jhoffa_]

It's actually pretty funny.

I can't imagine a bunch of Moussaoui's successfully over-throwing a lemonade stand.

[GulfWar1Vet]

HELL NO, I would FIGHT for my freedom before I "convert" to Islam!

I refuse to be a "French poodle"! LoL!

I agree with poster above: Kiss France goodbye! Nice knowing ya!

..and forget about Normandy II. Hell no. Rescue their derrier 3 times?!? What's that saying? "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me" 3 times is beyond the boundary!

[Grand Old Partisan]

This is not at all funny. A Moslem-dominated France will control huindreds of nuclear weapons, nucclear submarines, nuclear missiles, etc. The Iraq threat pales in comparison.