Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Is France Heading Toward Civil War?
France's equality chief said Wednesday the country was heading "straight into apartheid" and toward a major social explosion unless changes are made rapidly.
Continue here.
Yazid Sabeg issued a wakeup call to the French nation, which has already suffered major rioting from alienated immigrant youth in the country's social housing projects.
He stressed that the current financial crisis will hit those suffering from discrimination and lack of opportunity most severely.
"We are creating a social civil war in this country," said Sabeg. "I believe that today we are digging a ditch that leads straight into apartheid."
Sabeg spoke during a program on the Parliamentary Channel in which he responded to reporters' questions.
Sabeg is the son of Algerian immigrants and is known for his efforts to bring equality to the workplace.
President Nicolas Sarkozy appointed Sabeg in December to the newly created post of diversity and equality commissioner. He is to oversee a government action plan aimed at putting more ethnic minorities on TV screens, in political parties and in elite schools that lead to jobs in government and industry. Details of the plan are to be presented in March.
Sabeg said that France has been given four alerts over the past quarter-century, the latest in 2005 when fiery riots ricocheted through housing projects across France.
French of immigrant origin, most often from Muslim North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, fill the projects which ring major cities, and those who live there feel isolated from the mainstream. Many French had previously been unaware of the despair and anger locked up in the projects.Iran: Hamas Has Right to Weapons
Iran has signaled its intention to resupply its Islamist Palestinian proxy, Hamas, with weapons. Click here for the story.
Thursday, 22 January 2009
AP reports:
Foreign Confidential....
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