Why Is France Burning?

(image credits- lyon city police twitter)

France is on fire. I'm afraid there isn't another way to phrase it. On the streets, vehicles are being set ablaze, and barricades have been erected.Shops have been smashed and plundered; it's like something out of a zombie movie. The French Interior Ministry has issued an order stating that internet access will be restricted from today. They have cited the abuse of social media platforms, and thank goodness it's in Europe; otherwise, it would have been a human rights violation, but in France, it's a safeguard. Over the weekend, whole residential apartments were set on fire in Lyon, and stores were plundered. The cops used tear gas and batons to retaliate. Last night, a mayor's residence in Paris was assaulted.

A blazing automobile slammed into the building, injuring the mayor's wife and child. Nahil's burial was held on Saturday, and his grandma subsequently had a message for all. “I blamed the cop who murdered my grandson, as well as the individuals who were damaging stuff, and I urged them to stop. Using my grandson as a justification, no one should do it. They should cease breaking store windows and ransacking schools.”

Yes, nahil was the catalyst, but the problem extends beyond a one individual or policeman as in the case of George Floyd in the United States. So, how is President Macron going to handle it? He's cleared his calendar.

The state visit to Germany has concluded.He's also met with his government's top ministers to assess the situation. On Tuesday macron will meet with 220 mayors, all of whom represent towns worst affected by the riots. So that's the tactical response but what about the political one? Macron may have condemned the police shooting of nahil but look at his subsequent statements; he says the rioters are young and misguided and video games are contributing to the violence; perhaps both are true.But if he thinks Call of duty is to blame for this, he’s going to have a tough time. Because there is underlying rage and bigotry.

Whether or not Macon likes it, The country is severely split. Those divides are certain to have increased this weekend.

This is undoubtedly macron's most difficult exam. As a centrist, he was elected as the man who would unify France and Europe, but now his own nation is on fire. Macron's immigration and Islam policies have proven divisive and conflicting.He's talked about combating extremism, which is admirable, but his techniques aren't working. The French President declares that Islam is in crisis, then defends insults to the prophet and lashes down on all mosques.According to detractors, this is a textbook instance of targeting Islam rather than Islamic extremism.

Furthermore, he appears distant from the reality of major differences in French society. Let me give you an example.Some individuals have put up a fundraising for the officer who shot Nahil. Think about it: a fundraiser for the man who may have started it all, and guess how much money has been raised. It has about a million Euros, so don't believe there is no counter feeling.There are long-held anxieties among France's white population. As president, it is Macron's responsibility to confront these worries in order to heal his country and his people.

Otherwise, the bloodshed will continue. Macron might become the one-of-a-kind centrist who ends up dividing rather than unifying governments throughout the world, including the Indian government.

Next week, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to visit France. He'll be the main attraction for the Bastille Day celebration on July 14th. So far, there has been no change in the timetable, but a lot relies on how this week goes. If the violence flares up again, all bets are off. What caused the spark to fly? The shooting last week was undoubtedly the catalyst, but the Embers were already smouldering by then.why? as a result of immigration. and attempt to comprehend it outside the Left/Right dichotomy.

France's demographics have shifted dramatically in recent decades. Today, there are over seven million immigrants in the United States, accounting for approximately 10% of the population. So, out of ten persons, one will be an immigrant. In France, the notion is now rather ancient. By the 1830s, people were increasingly flocking there.

It was regarded as Europe's most open country in the twentieth century. Many of these migrants originated in French territories such as Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. During the World Wars, France needed additional workforce, therefore migrants arrived, but this was a colonial relationship.France was the all-powerful civilising power, while Arab and African migrants were only labour. It was not an equal partnership, and this mindset is at the basis of today's issues.

France has never apologised for its colonial history.

It has not taken responsibility for war crimes committed in North Africa, nor has it promised to pay reparations. So there is no difficulty in their minds. France is said to be the land of equality, liberty, and fraternity; the Temple of civil rights. Surely there is no prejudice in such a country? The majority of French leaders think this. I'll give you an example: it's prohibited in France to conduct censuses or surveys based on race or religion. why ? Because society appears to be colorblind.

However, in order to remedy an issue, it must first be acknowledged, which France is not doing. By 1975, around 6% of their population was of foreign ancestry.

They were immigrants, and their share did not alter for 25 years; nevertheless, in the twenty-first century, there was considerable increase. As previously stated, the stake is now 10%. So there was no change from 1975 to 2000, followed by a four-point increase over the next 23 years. What happened to these people?

Around 13% are of Algerian heritage, 12% are from Morocco, 4% are from Tunisia, and 3.8 percent are from Turkey. So these are all non-white people, the majority of whom are Arabic African and Muslim.

Don't think these individuals walked in without being invited. France required these migrants.According to a 2022 research, almost 400 000 jobs were awoken in the country since there is no one to work.

Why do you believe macro raised the retirement age? Due to a labour scarcity. One of the reasons was this. As a result, France need immigrant labour.As a result, millions of individuals have relocated in the previous two decades. They also have illegal migration. Not everyone travels legally to France. Many sneak in and live as illegal migrants; in 2014, there were over 200 000 of them. There are currently over 400 thousand of them, the majority of whom live in close-knit communities doing odd tasks.France enacted a new immigration legislation this year that is centrist, like President Macron. It facilitates the legalisation of illegal migrants while also increasing border deportations. So that's how a lot of migrants ended up.

The following step was assimilation, or assimilating these migrants into French society and country, and here is where they failed.There are two sorts of societies in the world: those that tolerate and foster variety, and those that do not. In nations such as the United States and India, you may live your life according to your culture. Then there are countries where one size fits all, such as France. It makes no difference whether you are an African Muslim or an Arab immigrant.To live in France, you must modify your culture and become a so-called Frenchman.

Obviously, not everyone is interested, which has resulted in the continuous alienation of immigrants. It has caused a schism. Other European countries have done better in comparison. Germany, for example, has a 24 percent immigrant population, and their integration has been pretty successful.

So that's one aspect of the issue. Immigrants are not fully assimilated into society. The other factor is the rising terror among white French people.

Many of them are living in fear.

What if they end up becoming a minority in their own country? What if France converts to Islam?

These anxieties are common, as seen by the emergence of far-right parties in France. These folks are vehemently anti-immigrant, and their anxieties are frequently mixed with racism, sometimes quite publicly.

Two top French physicians had a brain wave in 2020.Why not put the Wuhan virus vaccination to the test in Africa? As though the continent were a testing ground.

It demonstrates how deeply rooted racism is, and how this mindset is reflected in French enforcement. Black and Arab persons are 20 times more likely than white people to be stopped by cops.

There have been 21 fatal police shootings in the previous three years, with the majority of the victims being black or Arab. What does that imply?

In France, systematic racism exists, but it is ignored and hence festers.

The immigrant community frequently lives in ghettos, and their unemployment rate is 12%, compared to the national average of 7%.

Remember, this is an estimate; you can't know the true statistics because race-based polls are unlawful in this country.

France cannot continue to hide behind its revolutionary principles.

They were designed for a white Christian country. It does not represent modern-day France, and remember that the concepts of equality and liberty only apply to white Frenchmen in the colonies.That mindset is still prevalent today.

Let me also tell you something you may not be aware of. Some West African countries continue to pay a specific tax to France. It's known as the colonial tax. Because these nations use the CFA Franc as their currency, they are obligated to keep 50 percent of their reserves with the French Central Bank. On paper, the CFA Franc is tied to the euro. This may appear to be mutually beneficial.

But consider the optics. Former colonies compensate their colonisers. All of these variables have resulted in significant fault lines.

There is dread in France.A combination of isolation and desperation is a recipe for tragedy.

As a result, this is a critical juncture in French history. Leaders must realise that France has changed. They brought in immigrants for a variety of reasons, including inexpensive labour; now they must create place for them.

Otherwise, the cycle of violence may continue.