French Muslims enraged by passage of Macron’s version of Patriot Act

[Varun]

PARIS — The French Parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a controversial national security bill that significantly expands the state’s power to fight terrorism, although critics say it poses a historic threat to civil liberties.

At the behest of President Emmanuel Macron, the new legislation will extend police powers in an attempt to stop a wave of terrorist violence that has claimed 239 lives in France since 2015. As recently as Sunday, a man — who the Islamic State later claimed was a “soldier” of the group — fatally stabbed two women at a train station in Marseille. On Monday, police arrested five people in connection with a homemade bomb in a Paris apartment building.

Since the day after terrorist attacks killed 130 people in Paris in November 2015, France has been under an official “state of emergency,” a temporary regime of heightened security measures that have given local police and administrative authorities heightened powers to arrest and detain suspects without judicial oversight. The anti-terrorism laws approved Tuesday will make many of these special provisions permanent.

Under the new legislation, French police will be able to conduct home searches and place suspects under house arrest, with limited involvement by the courts. The law will enshrine a version of stop-and-frisk policing, and local authorities will be empowered to close “places of worship in which are disseminated the writings, ideas or theories that provoke violence, hatred and discrimination.”

Human rights activists and legal scholars immediately decried Macron’s new law, which many likened to a French version of the U.S. Patriot Act. In late September, two United Nations officials sent a strongly worded letter to the French government, denouncing the “many restrictions to fundamental liberties” that passing the law would entail.

On a practical level, most critics were quick to point out that the measures in Macron’s bill have failed to prevent any of the numerous terrorist attacks that followed the 2015 assault on Paris — including a deadly truck rampage in Nice and the murder of Jacques Hamel, a small-town priest, in July 2016. All of these occurred under the state of emergency.

The principal effect of Macron’s new law, critics said, probably will be to legally enshrine de facto discrimination against French Muslims, the country’s largest minority.

According to the Collective Against Islamophobia in France (CCIF), a large advocacy organization committed to fighting discrimination, earlier forms of the same security provisions have affected the Muslim community disproportionately.

Since the imposition of the state of emergency in November 2015, authorities have carried out more than 4,000 warrantless searches of French homes and placed more than 700 people under house arrest.

According to CCIF data, roughly 100 of those put under house arrest were Muslims. The French government does not keep official statistics on race, religion or ethnicity, but independent estimates say Muslims account for 7 to 9 percent of France’s population.

“What was problematic and exceptional will now become problematic and normal,” CCIF Director Marwan Muhammad said in an interview.

For some legal experts, Macron’s new law recalls a dark chapter in France’s colonial past.

“This is the first time since the age of de Gaulle that French law will enshrine a provision that will de facto target French minorities,” said Patrick Weil, a French constitutional scholar and a leading historian of French immigration. Charles de Gaulle headed a provisional postwar government from 1944 to 1946 and served as president of France from 1959 to 1969.

“It really is the most regressive attack on minorities since 1944, when de Gaulle abolished the Code de l’Indigénat,” he said, referring to France’s infamous colonial system of justice, originally from the late 19th century, which created an inferior legal status for subjects in North Africa, West Africa and Southeast Asia.

Furthermore, the emergency powers that Macron has now enshrined into law were created in that colonial context.

France first adopted emergency powers in 1955, when the government sought “sharp, severe repercussions against Algerians” to prevent unrest across the Mediterranean, said Benjamin Stora, a leading expert on France’s colonial Algerian history.

During the Algerian war that followed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, these same emergency powers figured in some of the most violent episodes in modern French history.

In what was dubbed the Paris massacre of October 1961, French police killed at least 200 Algerian protesters gathered at the Seine River — nominally for violating a curfew under the emergency laws. The French government acknowledged the episode only in 1998, and the full number of victims remains unknown.

“The French today? They don’t know that history,” Stora said. He noted, however, that many of the terrorists implicated in recent attacks come from families that arrived in France as a result of decolonization.

According to Muhammad, the anti-discrimination activist, many French Muslims are well aware of the history of these special powers and see their official enshrinement in French law as a sign from the government that Muslims here matter less than other citizens.

“There is no coming back from this,” he said.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the new anti-terrorism law passed in the lower house of the French Parliament with 415 of 577 total votes. Macron’s administration immediately celebrated the result. Interior Minister Gérard Collomb wrote on Twitter that the law would bring “better tools” to “better protect the French” from “a persistent threat.”

Others were less sanguine. “Macron has officially discredited France as a country of human rights and [the] rule of law,” Yasser Louati, a prominent French human rights activist, wrote in a statement. “Now stop lecturing other countries.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...7140d2eed02_story.html?utm_term=.0d9be8133040

France has been beset by one terrorist attack after another over the last few years, I suppose something like this was always due.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Laws like this and the patriot act in America will be used against all populations in time to come. There are some intelligent citizens of these countries who understand this and have tried fighting laws which reduce their rights to dust but most are brainswashed idiots who think it will never be used against their kids or grandkids in time to come.

France should try to integrate and come close to it's minorities as it's exclusion and discriminatory polices have not worked so far. But it's probably the worse European country to live in so this is not surprising.

 

[cricketjoshila]

More and more countries will adopt such laws to fight the scourge of terrorism.Thats the sad reality of things.

 

[CricFan2012]

Good, we need to rid this world of these radical islamists, too many lives have been lost at this point, futhermore its causing widespread paranoia everywhere, you don't know if you'll make it out alive from a busy public place anymore.

 

[CricketCartoons]

I don't follow world politics, but thought that Macron was one of the liberals.

 

[from_da_lost_dim3nsion]

I don't follow world politics, but thought that Macron was one of the liberals.

No government will say NO to more power.

 

[SandyB]

France should try to integrate and come close to it's minorities as it's exclusion and discriminatory polices have not worked so far. But it's probably the worse European country to live in so this is not surprising.

Doesn't france actually have a well integrated and old muslim population ? Algerian muslims and all ?

 

[the Great Khan]

Doesn't france actually have a well integrated and old muslim population ? Algerian muslims and all ?

they are treated like subhumans. Nearly 180,000 fought for France in the second world war but then faced increased discrimination which ultimately lead to their war of independance. Socio economic oppression means they are poorer and more likely to try and make a living in crime. You get the odd success like Zidane but overall they are not treated well. This will only exascerbate Frances slow but sure descent towards eventaul ethnic cleansing of their Muslim populace. And they have historical form for this.

 

[Varun]

they are treated like subhumans. Nearly 180,000 fought for France in the second world war but then faced increased discrimination which ultimately lead to their war of independance. Socio economic oppression means they are poorer and more likely to try and make a living in crime. You get the odd success like Zidane but overall they are not treated well. This will only exascerbate Frances slow but sure descent towards eventaul ethnic cleansing of their Muslim populace. And they have historical form for this.

If this unfortunate event were to indeed occur, what does France stand to lose in the long term? Do the Algerian or Muslim population have control over specific sectors of the economy that will then tank? Will human rights organizations turn their eye toward France and exert pressure?

 

[the Great Khan]

If this unfortunate event were to indeed occur, what does France stand to lose in the long term? Do the Algerian or Muslim population have control over specific sectors of the economy that will then tank? Will human rights organizations turn their eye toward France and exert pressure?

nope. This new law when enacted will eventually create a situation where the even well "integrated" populace will find it difficult to maintain their "frenchness" unless they complteley integrate to the point where even their names are no longer non French. And dont get me wrong, this ownt happen overnight. Its a slow process that will happen over the next two or even three generations but eventually it will happen.

You see the europeans have never really dealt with multiculturalism very well. They will eventually revert to type and expel those they "fear".

 

[Varun]

nope. This new law when enacted will eventually create a situation where the even well "integrated" populace will find it difficult to maintain their "frenchness" unless they complteley integrate to the point where even their names are no longer non French. And dont get me wrong, this ownt happen overnight. Its a slow process that will happen over the next two or even three generations but eventually it will happen.

You see the europeans have never really dealt with multiculturalism very well. They will eventually revert to type and expel those they "fear".

But that didn't answer my question: I asked what the long term effects on France would be - economic or otherwise, not of the local Muslim subset?

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

If this unfortunate event were to indeed occur, what does France stand to lose in the long term? Do the Algerian or Muslim population have control over specific sectors of the economy that will then tank? Will human rights organizations turn their eye toward France and exert pressure?

I don't know much about France's economy, but at the moment at least, you would imagine they need human labour. What the future holds, who knows? In fifty years people's tastes, lifestyles and views might have changed 180 degrees. How can anyone say?

 

[CricketCartoons]

Fair to say multiculturalism has been a cancer to the world. If you want to be a separate culture, you better stay in a separate country. The imposition of this fake ideal has accelerated the rise of fascism as a reaction. Soon we will have fascism dominate the world!

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Fair to say multiculturalism has been a cancer to the world. If you want to be a separate culture, you better stay in a separate country. The imposition of this fake ideal has accelerated the rise of fascism as a reaction. Soon we will have fascism dominate the world!

But in the meantime it's still multicultural countries dominating the world. Maybe the success of those countries is just a glitch in history's timeline and we in the west have just been lucky enough to live during this period.

 

[CricketCartoons]

But in the meantime it's still multicultural countries dominating the world. Maybe the success of those countries is just a glitch in history's timeline and we in the west have just been lucky enough to live during this period.

You are right. The success was due to their past identity. The cancer of multi kulti has only just begun to bear fruits. Interesting and fun times ahead.

 

[the Great Khan]

But that didn't answer my question: I asked what the long term effects on France would be - economic or otherwise, not of the local Muslim subset?

unfortunatley i dont know what the economic effect will be. The French economy isnt doing well for other reasons and I dont think actively discriminating against a large minority will help.

 

[the Great Khan]

You are right. The success was due to their past identity. The cancer of multi kulti has only just begun to bear fruits. Interesting and fun times ahead.

erm I think you need to re-read history. the majority of successful long term empires have all been Multicultural. Europe needs to go back and remember what al-andalus was and not ape the post 1492 Spain.

 

[CricketCartoons]

erm I think you need to re-read history. the majority of successful long term empires have all been Multicultural. Europe needs to go back and remember what al-andalus was and not ape the post 1492 Spain.

That was not multi kulti, but one supreme culture ruling other cultures. The way for peace and stability. The menace of multiculturalism we have now is based on all cultures having equal respect, which sounds good on paper, but translates to people becoming antagonistic to the native/majority culture. Instead of obedience, it leads to rebellion, and creates fissures in the society. There is a reason it is called melting pot, as it aims to dilute and melt the majority culture and pollute it with alien culture. The sooner world gets out of this mess, the sooner we can have peace.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

You are right. The success was due to their past identity. The cancer of multi kulti has only just begun to bear fruits. Interesting and fun times ahead.

What we really need is to see a successful mono-cultural state leading the world and putting the multicultural behemoths in their place. At eh moment all the proponents of such a culture can only grind their teeth and long for a glorious future where the multi kultis will come crashing down. Which shining nation will lead the way do you think? Will the Shiner be China?

 

[CricketCartoons]

What we really need is to see a successful mono-cultural state leading the world and putting the multicultural behemoths in their place. At eh moment all the proponents of such a culture can only grind their teeth and long for a glorious future where the multi kultis will come crashing down. Which shining nation will lead the way do you think? Will the Shiner be China?

It is the mono cultures who took their nation to where they are now. The multi kulti only added few kebab shops and motels, and maybe hip hop. So disingenuous to give the piggy back riders any credit for the success of the nation.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

It is the mono cultures who took their nation to where they are now. The multi kulti only added few kebab shops and motels, and maybe hip hop. So disingenuous to give the piggy back riders any credit for the success of the nation.

So what has held back the current mono-culture nations? They should have been wiping the floor in the past century with the multi kultis with the advantage of mono focus and unified outlook. You can provide examples from east or west to show the superiority that monoculture brings. Although most of the Eastern Europeans who come from such proud regions seem to be providing employees for red light areas in the multi kulti countries as of now, so seems things didn't go so well till now.

 

[CricketCartoons]

So what has held back the current mono-culture nations? They should have been wiping the floor in the past century with the multi kultis with the advantage of mono focus and unified outlook. You can provide examples from east or west to show the superiority that monoculture brings. Although most of the Eastern Europeans who come from such proud regions seem to be providing employees for red light areas in the multi kulti countries as of now, so seems things didn't go so well till now.

The current ones are lagging behind because they missed the first movers advantage. When the UK was unapologetically white they conquered the world through colonialism and imperialism. The success of Islamic empires because Islam gave a mono culture to the beduins and the people of jahiliyah. Those who gained power thus, have cemented their place and a new mono culture will find it tough to dominate the world like they did because of the first movers advantage.

 

[gani999]

If this unfortunate event were to indeed occur, what does France stand to lose in the long term? Do the Algerian or Muslim population have control over specific sectors of the economy that will then tank?

Most Algerians run their own businesses. Some work in state owned companies like the railways.

They were not very strong economically, but things are changing. I find that a lot of their youngsters are going in for higher education and starting to get jobs in companies. Most of them are also very liberal and westernized, particularly the women.