Behind the French Muslim riots

I was starting to believe more and more that Islam had less and less to do with the French riots of the last several weeks, and more to do with the same situations of the causes of the riots in Watts and Newark and other American cities in the sixties.

I’m thinking perhaps not, after all.

All indicators point to the involvement of some Pakistani, Algerian and Moroccan members of the London-based Hizbut Tehrir (HT) in the violence by sections of angry Muslim youth, which has rocked the suburbs of Paris and some other towns of France since October 27,2005.

2. The outbreak initially was spontaneous following the electrocution of two Muslim youth as they were fleeing away from a random identity papers check by the Police. The violence continued to be spontaneous, with no external instigation, for three days. In the meanwhile, it is reported by reliable sources, the headquarters of the HT in London saw the agitprop potential of the developments in Paris and sent some of their experts, who had participated in instigating the violence earlier this year in Afghanistan over the alleged desecration of the Holy Koran by the US guards at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre in Cuba and in Uzbekistan over the allegedly autocratic ways of the local Government, to Paris to stoke the anger of the youth and exploit it for their purpose.

3. With the help of the sleeper cells, which the HT has already established in Paris and other parts of France for some months, they drew up plans for keeping the violence sustained in order to further radicalise and mobilise the youth against the French Government. For this purpose, they exploited the already prevalent anger in the Muslim community of France over the ban on the wearing of head scarves by Muslim girls in public schools and over the ruthless action taken by the Police in the past against suspected radicals. The intemperate and insensitive language used by the French Interior Minister, which is perceived as an insult to Islam and the Muslim youth, facilitated the task of the HT.

Columbia University calls the South Asia Analysis Group, who created this report,

“An Indian think-tank group, with notes, analyses, papers, updates, on all aspects of Indian security issues and international relations. Analysts include B. Raman (retired Addtional Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, and presently Director of the Institute for Topical Studies, Channai), S. Gopal (former Special Secretary, Govt. of India), Dr. S. Chandrasekharan, C.S. Kuppuswamy (former Director of the Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India), and others. “

Perhaps what is needed in France is more than just throwing more money at the problem, which is what Villepin says must be done.

Perhaps they need to tear out the hatred by its roots.