Here is an excellent riposte to some of the wilful or ignorant nonsense from people who should no better accusing Macron of being anti muslim or playing the anti muslim card. Op-ed by a dozen or French muslim leaders praising Macron's approach.
lemonde.fr/idees/article/…
Can't translate the whole thing but it points out that Macron's speech early last month on combating extremist islamist separatism was in no way an attack on Islam.
Here are two extracts translated into English (courtesy of Google Translate.) Will post the whole thing in English if someone can tell me how to link to large chunks of text on Twitter...
"Who could reasonably say that France mistreats its citizens of Muslim faith? No one, except perhaps those who would like to instill the seeds of discord within the French national community."
"More than ever, concord and unity must prevail within the French national community, which is currently the victim of a series of unspeakable attacks that are plaguing us all. We Muslims in France and other Mediterranean countries call for calm and reason."
Know better...
Some more extracts...on Macron's speech on 2 October (ie two weeks before the heading of the teacher Samuel Paty) in which he spoke of combatting Islamist "separatism" and encouraging independent, non-radical structures for Islam in France....
"Contrary to what has been said here and there, at no time does the speech claim to reform or modify Islam. The President of the French Republic is respectful of each religion."
"And it respects a French tradition, established by a law of 1905: the separation of the Church, the churches, and the State. The French state does not intervene in the life of churches, in any of them."
"In this speech of October 2, President Macron reaffirmed a number of measures of public order and public service neutrality and clarified provisions relating to the law of associations and schools, pillars and crucible of our French republican pact."
"Also, and above all, he insisted on the need to build an Islam in France, the Islam of the Enlightenment, free from foreign influences, structured and transparent in its funding, and fully integrating the cultural part of Islam-civilization, without encroaching on it. "
"... Macron wanted to recall that all French people are members of the French Republic, in particular its most disadvantaged children or those in financial, social or cultural insecurity. He reminded everyone that racism, discrimination and separation have no place in France."
"We, intellectuals committed to a desire for concord at the international level, have chosen to support such ideas testifying to a universal ideal, and of which Islam-civilization is one of the expressions."
Signatories 1: Farid Abdelkrim, auteur et comédien ; Mohamed Bajrafil, islamologue et essayiste ; Sadek Beloucif, président de l’association L’Islam au XXIe siècle ; Chems-eddine Hafiz, recteur de la Grande Mosquée de Paris ; Eva Janadin, déléguée générale L’Islam au XXIe siècle;
More signatories...
; Hakim El Karoui, fondateur de l’Association musulmane pour l’Islam de France ; Khaldoun Nabwani, philosophe ; Tareq Oubrou, grand imam de Bordeaux ; Hachem Saleh, écrivain ; Youssef Seddik, philosophe, anthropologue des textes sacrés.

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More from @john_lichfield

31 Oct
Greek orthodox priest shot twice and seriously injured by a gunman as he was closing his church in Lyons at 4pm this afternoon . Another djihadist attack. Not yet clear.

lefigaro.fr/actualite-fran…
Meant to put a "?" after "another djihadist attack". According to Le Progres, the local paper in Lyon, the priest is in his 40's and was attacked with a sawn-off shotgun.
Priest, who is fighting for his life, named as , Nicolas K., 52. Gunman is described as very tall - 1m 90 or around 6 feet three inches - and "of Mediterranean appearance." Djihadist attack one possibility but also, police say, it's possible that this is NOT an Islamist attack.
Read 4 tweets
17 Oct
Here is a new, darker Covid update for France. Individual days can be misleading so I crunch stats every 6/7 days. The trend is worrying. Cases are up sharply, including a new 24hr peak over 30,000 on Thurs. More importantly, deaths and acute cases have begun to accelerate. 1/9
The average number of Covid deaths reported daily in the last 7 days was 94.5 – compared to 62.7 the previous week, and 81.7 and 74.7 in the weeks before that. Not an explosion but a significant upward lurch. 2/9
The number of new cases in 24hrs has averaged over 20,000 in the last 7 days – 20,399 to be precise, compared to 16,035 the previous week. Earlier 7-day averages going backwards were 12,242 - 12,838 - 10,520 - 8,630. In early Aug it was 500…a 40-fold in just over 2 months.
3/9
Read 9 tweets
14 Oct
Emmanuel Macron is about to start a TV interview in which he will announce new anti Covid measures in France. A curfew in big cities including Paris? Maybe but he will probably not use that word.
"We haven't lost control but we are in a worrying situation," Macron says. "32% of intensive care beds are occupied by Covid patients..." Unlike the first wave, 2nd wave is spread all over the country. There are no unaffected areas where surplus patients can be sent.
Objective is therefore to prevent health service from being overwhelmed. "Curfews are therefore a useful tool..." people will be forbidden to leave home. from 10pm to 6am in greater Paris and string of other métro areas.
Read 17 tweets
7 Oct
It’s not difficult to catch the present British government in a lie. Here is one to add to the list. It concerns one of my pet subjects – fisheries. Anyone with an intolerance to fish politics should leave here. 1/8
Last week the UK government suggested that an “historic” fishing agreement with Norway was a model for the “annual” agreements that it wishes to impose on EU fleets post-Brexit. It wasn’t. The opposite is true. It was closer to the kind of deal that Brussels is seeking. 2/8
In the D.Tel on 30 Sept, ag/fish minister George Eustice boasted that the UK-Norway Fisheries deal meant "negotiating access to waters and fishing opportunities annually.” This is a cod - misleading to the point of being mendacious. 3/8
telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/…
Read 8 tweets
6 Oct
Time for another French Covid update. Individual days are misleading so I have crunched stats for 7 days. The trend is mildly encouraging. All numbers are up – cases, deaths, intensive care – but the pace of increase is steady or only slightly above last week. No explosion. 1/9
These are, however, nationwide figures. The situation in some places, notably Paris, remains worrying – hence the government’s decision to trigger a “maximum alert” in the capital and shut bars, gyms but not all restaurants for at least 2 weeks. 2/9
The number of reported cases in 24 hours reached a new peak of 16,972 on Saturday but has, overall, been stable. The average of cases in the last 7 days was 12,242. The previous 7-day rate was 12,838. Before that - 10,521, then 8,630.
Topping off and flattening out? Maybe.
3/9
Read 9 tweets
23 Sep
Here is another French Covid update. There have been 6 days since my last thread. The trend remains steadily upwards in cases, deaths and net admissions to intensive care. But there is no sign - yet - of the steep climb in deaths and acute cases that France saw in March. 1/12
The number of new cases each day is accelerating and reached new peaks of over 13,000 on two successive days last Fri and Sat. The mortality rate – now averaging 43.4 a day – is also rising but certainly not exploding. More figures later. 2/12
The French government’s attitude is still to hold-the-line, wait-and-see but impose local restrictions. They are being either heroically calm or culpably slow. Compare the stringent new national rules imposed in the UK. This is definitely a reversal of roles since March. 3/12.
Read 12 tweets

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