You can keep your Middle-Ages caves over there, we're keeping our freedom here

As we've all been able to see the past few weeks, a group of people that I'll call Islamo-fascists has been trying to make us understand that we could say bye-bye to our civilization. To be crude, their message was: "Screw your freedom of speech, screw your civilization, our Prophet is to tell you how you should think and behave".

I can already feel the uneasiness of some of those reading this. I expect another turn of accusations of islamophobia. Very well. Let me clear the ground for you: I am against Islamic fascism (btw, an expression that I first heard in a speech by Karl Rove -- I know, I know, it adds to your anger), there is no doubt about that. I am not afraid of it. It disgusts me. This totalitarianism makes me sick and I am certainly not ready to give away my freedom to this ideology of submission. Don't come telling me I hate Muslims: this is not true. I will fight the ideology - and all those who support it - that wants me to submit, kiss a Prophet's ass and, as a woman, to hide my hair, my hips, my waistline... my body.

On Saturday, February 11, 2006, it was the 27th anniversary of the Iranian Islamic revolution. Surprisingly enough (just kidding), Islamists around the world took to the streets to demonstrate against the supposed disrespect the West would have showed by publishing a couple of cartoons in private European newspapers. Or was it really about a new Islamic revolution after all?

Paris was no exception.

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(Thanks to Hervé for the editing of the video)

At the sound of "Allahu akbar" from the beginning to the end of the demonstration, "Don't touch my Prophet" (there goes free speech), "Zionist media, you are the terrorists", "Attacking the Prophet means attacking all Muslims" (we got the message), etc., several thousands of French Muslims, more or less in separate groups of men and women demonstrated, notably Boulevard Voltaire. Poor Voltaire.
The demonstration ended Place de la Nation, where the demonstrators knelt to pray. Here is a picture of the Place de la Nation, before they arrived. Isn't the graffiti on the wall, in the background... interesting?

Anyway, the French media have reported "peaceful demonstrations", not one single TV channel has showed the "Allahu akbar" constant incantations. Not one showed the guys desguised as terrorists. Moderated. Peaceful. Calm. Those were the words used to qualify the demonstration.

Freedom of expression stops where begins [others' freedom of expression]

To attack the Prophet is to attack us all

After all has been said and done in the affair of the Danish cartoons supposedly insulting Mohammed and Muslims in general, after the hateful demonstrations in London and around the world, after the torching of European embassies and flags in the Middle East, after the "Europe is the cancer, Islam is the answer" type of posters, what were those taking to the street in France, Muslims "offended" by the cartoon, supposedly and actually standing for?

Muslim organizations of the Paris suburbs organized a demonstration for the "respect of religions", the "ethics of journalism" and a "law against Islamophobia".

The main messages: Mohammed is their Prophet and has to be respected and Mohammed was not a terrorist. Free speech is okay as long as religions are respected.

Really?

Allah is the one making fun of them and He will harden them in their revolt . . . [?] and their deviation

In 35, persecution of Jews began with caricatures... something to think about" [sic]

No, Jesus wasn't a pedophiliac - No, Moses wasn't a zionist criminal - No, Mohammed wasn't a terrorist - Yes to freedom of expression - No to the freedom to slander

So what could possibly happen if two journalists, one French, one Danish American, had decided to simply stand up for their right on the side of the demonstration? Well, we have tested them, and what happened is crystal clear. The two were threatened and forced by the police to leave for fear their safety was in danger. All this took place in less than 3 minutes.

I guess you've all seen the video by now. But I'd like to add something.

First of all, I'd like to draw your attention on the fact that one of the demonstrators, at the very beginning of Arthur's and Erik's counter-protest, put its little Koran next to the fake, freshly-cut hand (it's not easily visible on the video): nice symbol.

Second, many people started to tape or take pictures of what was going on. Nevertheless, I must have been among the very, very few women there with my long, blond hair not under meters of fabric. Yet, nobody appeared to notice it and at least nobody tried to stop me from recording the insults and the anger. Those guys were so blinded by their anger and hatred that they were concentrating all their energy against Erik and Arthur. Although many journalists were present that day, too.

The atmosphere was really oppressive and calm is not the word I would have used to describe this caricature of a peaceniks demonstration. I wonder what the coverage by the media would have been of a couple of thousand of people yelling Boulevard Voltaire "Jesus is our savior".

Wait, I know what word they would have used.

Although the organizers of the demonstration had asked demonstrators to bring flags of France ("to give a good image of Muslims"), I only saw two of them: one around the meters of fabric that were hiding the generous forms of a young woman, and another on a poster protesting the attitude of the "sons of Les Lumières".

Also, check the video here. It's in French though. But if you understand French, please have a look. The organizer made an interesting slip of the tongue ("we demonstrated against the journalists Chesnot and Malbrunot"). Also, check the guy with the red keffyieh explaining that the authors of the caricatures should submit to Islam, as we all should.

Posted by Carine at February 15, 2006 08:51 PM