Nuff jokes? :smile:
Ok... Here's an article about the
French identity debate from the Independent.
For those that do French, here's a supportive
editorial from Le Monde. For more, see this article from
Libération and a great
radio debate.
In his speech, published in Le Monde 09/12/09 Sarkozy said that French Muslims must
se faire humbles et discrets dans leurs pratiques ou expressions ("be humble and descreet in their practices and expressions" in other words, you can be Muslim, but keep your head down).
He also talked about the need to
respecter ceux qui arrivent, respecter ceux qui accueillent (respect those that arrive, respect those that recieve/host), totally missing the fact that most of France's minorities are French-born. He's treating them like newly arrived immigrants that need to integrate. It's outrageous!
Amazing (and sad) how much of this debate, which should be about the positive content of French identity, is about what France doesn't identify with and can't accept - Islam.
In my opinion he's still playing to racist public opinion to galvanise support from the right and stick the last dagger into the Front National. But he's recklessly doing this by attempting to pin down national identity in a form that excludes a large part of an already excluded population.
