I'm a Frenchman and there are extremely violent riots happening at this very moment in France, riots that look more like an insurrection. Now, there are three aspects to these riots, and I want to dwell on these three aspects because, many people do not understand the reason of this extreme violence.
The first, of course, is that this violence happened because of the death of a young Muslim boy of 17, called Nahel in Nanterre, a Paris suburb, last Tuesday. This boy was known to the police. He used to drive cars without a license and several times, when the police asked to stop, he refused and sped away. He as also caught using and peddling drugs and was known to steal. On Tuesday last then, he was asked to stop two times and the third time the police shot him dead. Now the French President chose to disown his own police force, and the gentleman who is awaiting trial. After that, the entire France erupted.
So the first aspect is that IT IS THE MUSLIMS OF FRANCE WHO ARE RIOTING, battling the police, stealing from shops, burning public transport and private cars. It's an entire revolt and insurrection. A few white French people might have joined them, because they're extreme left or they're sympathetic to the cause. But mostly this is happening with the Muslims of France. Not only the French Muslims, but the immigrants that France has accepted in the last 2-3 years. So the first aspect is this violence is: it’s the handwork of Muslims.
The second aspect is that of course, there is anger among these Muslims. You see ,these Muslim French today who have French nationality and are mostly or partly educated, are the great great grandsons of the cheap labor Arabs that France imported from North African countries to do what Frenchmen would not do anymore in the 50’s and 60’s. Of course, these coolies, labourers, cleaners, maids, were underpaid well and not always treated well. When I was a kid, they were called “bicots”. Bicot is a very negative name for Arabs, and in those days nobody thought it was wrong to label them so. Thus there was a disrespect and contempt for these people. Now the great, great grandsons, have anger about that. And that anger, in a way, is justified.. However if this anger can be understood on the part of the French Muslims, it cannot be accepted coming from immigrants, because these immigrants have been welcomed by France, they've been given Social Security, stipends, money, housing, often. So they're biting the hands that are helping them. Thus my advice to the French President. If ever he listens to me, is that, these immigrants should be immediately kicked out and sent back to their own countries.
The third aspect is karma. Of course if you're Hindu or a Buddhist, you know about karma. The Dalai-lama explains very clearly that not only an individual is bound by karma but nation too, has a collective karma. He said that in the case of Tibet for example, there were feudalism, for many, many centuries, and the high priests, rimpoches, etc, exploited the simple Tibetan people. This feudalism led to a bad karma at the hands of the Chinese. As you know, China invaded Tibet in 1959, killed directly or indirectly near a million Tibetans and is still holding it, while the Dalai-lama and his followers had to flee and take refuge in India. So this is the karma of a nation. In the same way, France colonized ruthlessly & exploited North African countries, particularly Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. And today they're paying for that karma in the same way that the white Americans who exploited black slaves from Africa, are today paying for that karma, THERE IS NO ABSOLUTE INJUSTICE IN THE WORLD – EVERYTHING IS KARMA. Therefore, France is also suffering the consequences of that ‘black karma’. But we know that eventually karma burns ou through suffering and therefore can ne wiped out and gone.
So it's important when you look at the riots – any riots, any insurrection, any mass killings - that you see these three aspects, so you get a holistic, fulsome picture. This said, rioting remains unacceptable & unforgivable, especially on the part of immigrants. And the French government should clamp down severely on this violence and bring the culprits to justice.
François Gautier
Author of “An Entirely New History of India” (Garudabooks.com)
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