http://www.lefigaro.fr/international/2012/09/14/01003-20120914ARTFIG00929-les-us-pieges-par-une-poignee-de-fanatiques-anti-islam.php
That's the headline by Le Figaro as they buy into the propaganda that all this violence in the Middle East is due to a few fanatics, "living in their own paranoia", who made a video mocking Islam and its prophet, Muhammad.
Roughly translating the below article, Le Figaro makes virtually no mention of 9-11 nor the reports that this wave of violence was pre-planned. Instead it focuses on those who produced this film (in 2011). It talks about the "extreme-right-wing Christians" who are involved. It mentions the "strange alliance between radical evangelists and extreme Copts". It quotes the Southern Poverty Law Center's pronouncement on some of these people ("Reconstructionist Christians, patriots militias, white supremists" and so on).
I am not trying to defend those who made this film. I have nothing to do with them, nor do I want to. Deliberately provoking violence is not a good tactic in my view, and we should concentrate on those Muslims who wish to do us harm or take over our societies as opposed to the average Muslim.
Yet, the important point is that this dopey video is being used as a pretext to justify violence and murder. The true reason for the outbreaks was a coordinated plan to "commemorate" 9-11. Yet the coincidence of the date seems lost on some people. The French as much as anyone should know what the problems are. They see it almost daily in their own nation.
To continue this charade about the movie is to shift the blame to the victim. Le Figaro is referring to "Extremist Copts", totally ignoring the on-going persecution against Coptic Christians in Egypt, which can only now escalate. Blame Copts. Blame Christians. Blame America. Blame free speech.
Ironically, Le Figaro, on a separate page, showed a photo of the real culprits.
American Embassy under attack in Tunis
That's a rather small crowd. I believe "the people of Tunisia" number several million. Apparently they aren't all on board with this riot.
ReplyDeleteI am reminded of what a conservative American businessman travelling in Bulgaria at the time of the third or fourth post-Soviet transition in government said:
"CNN could make a college half-time show look like a national uprising."