You can find more in the firebombing of the soup kitchen - social centre in the 11th arrondissement in Paris in Le Monde and Libération if you read French, in the Guardian if you don't.

[ 23 August 2004: Message edited by: lagatta ]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mr. Magoo:
If only France would end the illegal occupation!

---

There is no indication (despite what the article says) that this specific act can be tied to the Palestine/Israel conflict. There are some swastika-wearing jack-booted dumbasses in France, and they would be there despite that conflict.

Moreover, even if this crime could be (or is) directly linked to the Israel/Palestine problem we must not forget that politics is now global in scope. We all participate in these conflicts as observers and (sometimes unwitting) accomplices. The phenomenon of seemingly "localised" conflicts spilling over into other geographic spaces due to the electronic-induced collapse of physical horizons has been going on for some time now. As Paul Virilio put it, Fukyama has missed the point: we stand not at 'The End of History', but at 'The End of Geography'.

[ 23 August 2004: Message edited by: Courage ]

quote:

---

If only France would end the illegal occupation!

---

quote:

---

If only France would end the illegal occupation!

---

[ 23 August 2004: Message edited by: Malek ]

quote:

---

That's quite the stupid statement, Magoo.

---

No, stupid would be terrorizing French citizens because of something another country is doing. I assume France teaches geography in its classrooms... maybe they need to make an extra special point of circling France, then circling the Middle East, and noting that they're different.

quote:

---

I am sure the people who have lost their center would fail to see the humour

---

Look, I am not interested in making you miserable. But certainly you can recognize your comment was premature and ill advised.

It would have been equally ill advised it were a Muslim social center that was torched and you responded with "France has the right to defend itself."

Situations like this bring out the worst in people and I am sure you can recognize that by attempting to lay blame and make light of the tragedy before any real evidence is available is only stoking the anger.

quote:

---

Anti-Semitic attacks in France have been on the rise since 2000 as tensions have worsened between Israel and the Palestinians.

France has the largest Muslim and Jewish communities in Europe.

---

And again, I wasn't making an attempt at humour. Hopefully the absurdity of my original comment will point out the absurdity of French citizens terrorizing other French citizens because of something that another country, on another continent, is doing.

An analogy would be me, a guy of Irish descent, wandering around Toronto assaulting anyone who looks British in the name of "my countrymen". Fact is, these "Brits" would be Canadian, and I'm also Canadian. They aren't occupying Northern Ireland, nor am I truly Irish. So would I be in sore need of a Geography lesson, or what?

quote:

---

The assumption that this probably isn't the work of "old school" anti-Semites or skinheads? That it was probably done in 'retaliation' for the situation in Israel/Palestine?

---

Arab Muslims and anyone mistaken for them, are targets of old school anti-semites as much as Jews are, today.

quote:

---

These events, when viewed externally, would indicate that it is a continuing and perhaps worsening cycle. More attacks of this nature provoking greater exodus to Israek

---

Actually quite the opposite seems to be happening. People are not emigrating to Israel, and the Jewish populations of Germany and France are both increasing annually. Recalling once more the response of the French Jewish community to Sharon's recent scaremongering, it would seem that these folks are quite adamant that fully supporting and immersing themselves in a pan- or even non-ethnic 'Frenchness' - defined as a secular citizenship - is the best antedote to this problem. They have come out courageously and resoundlingly against the fear and xenophobia proposed by both Sharon and those that commit these crimes. Their response is also brilliant in that it exposes the philosophical affinity and complicity of anti-liberal xenophobes in both France and in Israel.

Both think that fear and seperation make good neighbours.

[ 24 August 2004: Message edited by: Courage ]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Macabee:
Actually it was CBC that was premature not Magoo.

---

Because we should believe everything we read.

[ 24 August 2004: Message edited by: Courage ]