denial
Reader comment on item: The 751 No-Go Zones of France
in response to reader comment: mischaracterization

Submitted by daniel (France), Nov 25, 2006 at 11:21

As I predicted in my own post (a caveat on French ZUSs), the simplistic classification of 751 ZUS in France as "no-go" areas and their identification with the establishment of Dar al-Islam in France is an unfortunate exaggeration, which in turn fuels denial. One example of such denial is the following statement from the post "mischaracterization" :

"The ZUS have nothing to do with law and order - there is no such thing as "no go" zones or areas that are outside of French governmental control within France. These are zones targetted for economic development."

I believe that this is true or partially true of quite a few of the urban areas on the list, but the existence of 'sensitive' urban zones in which the French government at best struggles to maintain some semblance of control is also a serious problem which denial will not help to resolve. Two recent articles (among so many others) provide evidence of this :

http://www.lefigaro.fr/france/20061021.WWW000000047_une_vengeance_a_l_origine_du_guet_apens_d_epinay_sur_seine.html

http://www.lefigaro.fr/france/20061003.FIG000000028_agressions_de_policiers_la_serie_noire.html

Incidents such as these make it into the press on a regular basis in France. It is worth pointing out that such acts of violence are often not directed solely against the police but against the Fire Department as well, insofar as they are perceived as uniformed representatives of social order.

As I have previously suggested, the immediate and ostensible problem here is not Islam but crime. However, the recurrent combination of immigrant populations identifiable in some respect as "muslim" and zones of lawlessness suggests some connection. Two reciprocal processes (at least) are simultaneously at work : in some cases Islamist ideology fosters lawlessness in these areas, while at the same time the lawlessness and poverty in these areas create a favorable environment in which Islamist ideology can prosper.

There is some truth as well to the idea that this is a reaction against discrimination and racism (real or perceived) in the French population at large, but as our political elites have already given this side of the equation due emphasis I see no need to elaborate.

Determining in what ways and to what extent Islam or Islamist ideology are involved in organized crime and the ambient rejection of French society is indispensable in assessing the extent to which Dar al-Islam may truly be said to exist in France (or other Western nations for that matter).

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