While Paris burns
The New York Times TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2005
As shocking as the riots that have swept through the depressed outskirts of Paris and other French cities over the past two weeks has been the flailing response of President Jacques Chirac and his ministers. They appear to have no idea what to do and to whom to talk. Their floundering illustrates the deeper problems that underlie the current unrest: a failed approach to absorbing immigrants into society, an out-of-touch political elite, and ministers more interested in a presidential election that's still nearly two years away than in coming up with answers for today's literally burning problems. There can be no condoning the rioting, which has grown both in extent and violence since it erupted on Oct. 27. In hundreds of towns and neighborhoods, French-Arab and French-African youths have burned cars, businesses and public buildings and fought with the police and firefighters. Bystanders have been beaten, and one has now died. This wave of criminal violence is likely to reinforce prejudices against France's 5 million to 6 million Muslims. It has already brought out shameful name-calling demagogy from Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, a leading presidential candidate. That is a particular shame because Sarkozy has been one of the few French politicians willing to acknowledge that the republic's centuries-old ideal of integration, which ignores the ethnic and religious communities' existence and special problems, hasn't worked for years. Now Sarkozy, the one government leader who has dared to advocate American-style affirmative action methods, has chosen to inflame a dangerous situation and immolate his own hard-won credibility in immigrant communities. The other leading government voice has come from the aloof and aristocratic prime minister, Dominique de Villepin, Sarkozy's chief rival for the presidential nomination of the governing center-right. Although Villepin seems unwilling to break from the failed integration model, he at least seems to recognize the importance of cultivating contacts with credible leaders in the immigrant suburbs. He also talks about addressing the pressure-cooker conditions of the seething outer suburbs, including crime-ridden housing projects, scandalously high unemployment rates, and toxic tension between the police and the predominantly Arab and African residents. Unfortunately, he seems unprepared to offer any specifics at this time. Meanwhile, the fires continue to spread. Copyright © 2005 The International Herald Tribune | www.iht.com |