Extremist Perspective: The Peril of Selective Tolerance Towards Islamic Beliefs
The saying "two weights, two measures" carries weight in global politics and hot-button issues, yet it's tough not to bring it up in light of French political leaders, particularly Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, responding differently following the horrific stabbing murder of Aboubakar Cissé, a 22-year-old Malian, at the Khadidja mosque in La Grand-Combe (Gard) on April 25th.
Take a look at Aboubakar Cissé's Murder: Why Ruling Out Terrorism Doesn't Mean Ignoring Islamophobia for more on this.
In the chilling video he himself recorded on his phone, the presumed murderer, Olivier H., a 20-year-old Frenchman of Bosnian descent, can be heard repeating, "Your filthy Allah, your filthy Allah," as his victim lay dying. The motive remains unclear, but three days later, a judicial investigation was launched for "premeditated murder and infliction of harm based on race or religion."
Prudence is crucial when making immediate comments about such incidents to fully grasp the circumstances and reasons behind them. Regrettably, political leaders have a tendency to rush to the scenes of tragic events. For instance, former President François Hollande and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve promptly headed to Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray (Seine-Maritime) on July 26, 2016, following the murder of Father Jacques Hamel by two young Islamists.
Bruno Retailleau, now in charge of the ministry, surprisingly visited Nantes only hours after a high school student was brutally stabbed on April 24th. His hasty judgement about "rioting" and a society that "deconstructs authority" before the perpetrator was even hospitalized sparks concern. A swift, politically-motivated explanation, like this, is not fitting for a Republic Minister, let alone one responsible for public order.
Take a look at The Peculiar "Manifesto" of Justin P.: Stabbing Nantes High School Student or Hallucinating Visionary? for a deeper dive into the incident.
It's astonishing to observe Mr. Retailleau's eagerness to appear in Nantes, sharply contrasting with his absence from the mosque in La Grand-Combe, where an anti-Muslim element was present in the murder. Meanwhile, President Macron and Prime Minister Jean Castex swiftly condemned racism and hate based on religion, but the Interior Minister initially characterized the murder as "horrifying" and showed up at the Gard prefecture only three days later. On May 2nd, he announced he would receive the family of Aboubakar Cissé on Monday.
The services at Place Beauvau themselves have noticed an increase in anti-Muslim acts over the past several months, and their concern is evident. Like every citizen of this nation, Muslims have the right to security, attention, and compassion from the authorities. It's tragic that millions of French people of Muslim origin or faith find themselves caught in political crossfires that tend to conflate Islam and Islamism, or deny the risks associated with the latter.
The core of secularism aims to reconcile communal living and religious freedom. It cannot tolerate hatred directed at believers of a specific religion, nor any attitudes that fan the flames of a terrible poison: competition among victims.
- The horrific murder of Aboubakar Cissé, a 22-year-old Malian, at the Khadidja mosque in La Grand-Combe (Gard) on April 25th has raised questions about contrasting responses from political leaders.
- While President Macron and Prime Minister Jean Castex swiftly condemned racism and hate based on religion, Bruno Retailleau, the Interior Minister, showed up at the Gard prefecture only three days later, initially characterizing the murder as "horrifying."
- The eagerness of Bruno Retailleau to appear in Nantes, sharply contrasting with his absence from the mosque in La Grand-Combe, is a point of concern for many.
- The increase in anti-Muslim acts over the past several months, noticed by the services at Place Beauvau, highlights the need for political leaders to address concerns around Islamophobia in a timely and sensitive manner.
