Louise Vella, Mosta
France's problems with Muslim community
Herman Grech's article ('The race for space', The Sunday Times, June 29) made interesting reading, but today's Muslim-related problems in France also have a historical perspective.
France used to have an empire which included Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Lebanon and several largely Muslim countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Some of them were called protectorates, but in the case of Algeria the relationship went much deeper. Hundreds of thousands of mainly French people and some other Europeans, including Maltese, settled in Algeria which became an integral part of France. This led to the Algerian War of Independence.
Empire means exploitation and the Muslim and other colonies and protectorates contributed healthily to France's economic prosperity. Many Muslims worked for French firms, while others joined the French armed forces and fought for the French in European wars. In the course of history and business, many Muslims settled in France. These included Algerians who fought on the side of the French against the Algerian Liberation Front and who were resettled to France for their own safety. Also, in the 1960s the French government actively encouraged immigration to weaken French trade unions whose strikes and wage claims were rendering French industry uncompetitive.
It would have been much better for everybody if it had encouraged French industry to invest in Muslim countries and employ Muslims in their own countries. In many ways, France's problems with its Muslim community are self-inflicted and the result of short sighted policies in the last two centuries. In no way can one draw any conclusions or inspiration from them for Malta's current problems.
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Daphne Caruana Galizia
Jul 9th 2008, 01:58
You're all missing the point here: it's not Islam that's the problem, but religion itself. The only time there are no problems with religion is when everyone willingly espouses the same one; The minute you have dissent, or the presence of a different religion, there are problems. The arguments people are using here against Muslims are no different to the arguments used in past centuries by those of the dominant Christian denomination against those of a minority Christian denomination deemed to be threatening: Protestants against Catholics in England, for example, or Catholics against Huguenots in France.
A.J.Muscat
Jul 6th 2008, 18:38
Church goers are decreasing all over Christian countries. This is the real dilemma of the Vatican. A divine solution does not see to be available for this issue.
But somehow our Christianity morals wake-up when Muslims are discussed!
My understanding is that. For Muslims, Saudi Arabia is equivalent to our Vatican. Christians would fully and freely practice their religion inside a Church in Saudi Arabia’ soil, only when Muslims have a Mosque inside the Vatican’ soil.
Not on country- by- country base. Number of Churches inside Muslims world all over the globe, more than Mosques inside Christian’s countries all over the globe. Unless we tend to edit, or make self-history, facts speak for themselves.
David Buttigieg
Jul 6th 2008, 16:24
Oh so now it's not even just 'illegal immigrants' who are a problem!
It's fully fledged citizens who happen to be a different religion i.e. race who are a problem.
Louise Vella, your true colours were easily enough seen before you confirmed them so beautifully!
People like you make me so sick!
Peter Borg
Jul 6th 2008, 15:55
I suggest Louise Vella to read 'While Europe Slept' by Bruce Bawer. She may read the customer reviews on this book in www.amazon.com, she will get a better picture of the current situation of Muslims in France.
Wilfred L Camilleri
Jul 6th 2008, 14:43
Unfortunately, many times accommodation leads to capitulation. I have no problems with Muslims or any other cultural group for that matter settling in a foreign country. What I have a problem with are governments who try to change the basic values and laws of the country to accommodate migrants and placate radicals from other cultures. In Canada for example, politicians are taking God out of the equation so as not to offend people from other cultures who have different beliefs. The city of Toronto council tried to change the name of the Christmas Tree to a "Holiday Tree" one year so as not to offend non-Christians. After a large outcry they back-peddled and left the Christmas Tree alone! The government of Ontario tried to eliminate the Lord's Prayer from the legislature so as not to offend non-Christians. After a large outcry the government back-peddled and decided to add other non-denominational readings instead. The government of Ontario was also considering allowing the use of Sharia law but again after a large outcry they back-peddled. Politicians will do anything for a few votes including compromising their beliefs and values.
peter sammut
Jul 6th 2008, 12:06
There is no European Country in the World which does not have a problem with their muslim communities.
After all look at muslim countries like Saudi Arabia, do the Christians there, none of them are allowed to practice their Religion.
William P Flynn
Jul 6th 2008, 11:16
If you look at the world's major problems today and start digging, you will find at their root the word Empire or Colonialism or Protectorate or all of the above. The next spadeful should yield an Englishman or a Frenchman or both.
The British and French Empires have delayed the development of the world's peoples by 200 years. One needs only to look at the meteoric rise of the previous "protectorates" in the few decades since the fall of these Empires to confirm this.