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Jewish World Review Nov. 11, 2005 / 9 Mar-Cheshvan, 5766 Where there's smoke ... By Diana West
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
At least the once-Western world is consistent: Like the terrorism
that has engraved the blood-drenched anniversaries of 9/11, 3/11,
and 7/7 into collective memory, and has transformed Amman,
Amsterdam, Baghdad, Bali, Beslan, Davao, Hadera, Haifa, Jakarta,
Jerusalem, Nairobi, New Dehli, Sharm al-Sheik, Tel Aviv and Tunisia
into hallowed outposts of mass murder, the rioting that has
convulsed France has nothing to do with Islam. At least, that's the
agreed-upon narrative. It's Our Story, the subtext, the thread to
which we cling. The problem driving "youths" to incinerate lines of
parked buses or immolate the occasional grand-mere on crutches is
French racism, institutional neglect, failure to integrate. It's
also snobbery, and don't forget George W. Bush. But not Islam. Not
anything to do with Islam and its non-assimilable legions in the
heart of Europe.
That's the word from intelligentsia all over. Even before the riot's
last fires have been kindled, let alone cooled, The Washington Post
editorial page, for example, said — no, it insisted: "Islamic
ideology and leaders have played no part in the disturbances and
many of those who are participating are not Muslim." Writing in The
New York Times, Olivier Roy ruled Islam out with equally categorical
and doctrinal confidence.
How do they know? Yes, the thugs we see depicted through the smoke
of burning civilization aren't dressed for the part by Central
Casting — either in the beards and robes of the mosque, or the mask
and scimitar of the jihad. They look like urban punks, "scum," as
French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy called them before diving
under the covers with the rest of the Gallic government. They are,
we hear tell, unemployed toughs and secular criminals, devoted not
to Allah so much as to what you might call, loosely and very grimly,
French "culture" — French pop culture, that is.
Writing in the Weekly Standard, Olivier Guitta offers a shocking
look at one expression of that culture — rap music as we in the
United States have never quite heard it, even at its "cop-killing"
worst. As Mr. Guitta explains, some of the most successful bands in
France are made up "mostly of French citizens of Arab or African
descent" — like our pals in the French projects, or "cites." But
where so-called gangsta rap, American style, glorifies senseless
violence and sexual bestiality, Muslim rap, French style, fuses that
same violence and sexuality to attack the State.
Mr. Guitta has translated some choice examples. There is the rap
band Sniper (nice), which, not incidentally, was unsuccessfully sued
in 2004 by Mr. Sarkozy for violence and incitement in the song "La
France." Sniper sings: "We're all hot for a mission to exterminate
the government and the fascists. ... France is a b—— and we've
been betrayed ... We f— — France, we don't care about the Republic
and freedom of speech. We should change the laws so we can see Arabs
and Blacks in power in the Elysee Palace. Things have to explode."
Well, of course, things did. But not, our elites instruct us,
because of Islamic attitudes toward a non-Islamic country, but
because of establishment attitudes toward a downtrodden minority.
Integration, we hear, or the lack thereof, is the problem, so
integration is also the answer. But how will France — or "FranSSe,"
as rapper Mr. R has titled this song — integrate this? "France is a
b——, don't forget to f—— her to exhaustion. You have to treat her
like a whore, man! ... France is one of the b——— who gave birth
to you ... I am not at home and I don't give a d——, and besides the
state can go f—— itself. I pee on Napoleon and General de Gaulle
... F——— cops, sons of whores ...." It goes on, lashing out in a
similarly poisonous vein. Not that this stopped Fnac, the largest
chain of French music stores, from praising the popular Mr. R as "a
revelation."
And so he and his rap brethren are. But a revelation of what —
urban blight or ghetto jihad? Or some new, cultural permutation of
both? The vicious contempt, the exhortation to humiliation, the
vindictive rape imagery: These are the motifs, at least, of brutal
conquest, patterns and expressions familiar to students of jihad for
having repeated themselves over the centuries as non-Muslim lands —
Dar al Harb (Land of War) — were conquered and subjugated as Dar al
Islam (Land of Islam). Is that what's going on in France? Without
doubt, such music prefigures a state of war, although no one but the
rioters seems to have been listening. Too bad no one is listening
still.
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JWR contributor Diana West is a columnist and editorial writer for the Washington Times. Comment by clicking here. © 2005, Diana West |
Arnold Ahlert | |||||||||||
