France is witnessing a marked rise in anti-Semitism, specifically in Sarcelles district, a northwest suburb of Paris, in which Jews were accosted by small gangs in three separate incidents since March 3. These attacks come in the aftermath of the kidnapping, prolonged torture, and ultimate death of Ilan Halimi, also a Jew, on February 13. Tangentially, Halimi’s kidnapper, Ivorian Youssef Fofana, was extradited to France and claims Halimi was snatched for ransom, not anti-Semitism. Halimi’s execution also seems to have taken lessons from various gruesome Iraq case studies of handling prisoners. The Paris Consistory said in a statement that it “is concerned about this worrisome series of anti-Semitic attacks.” As a result, and somewhat curiously, police have stepped up patrols and surveillance at synagogues, although no mention was made of street patrols, which might have thwarted the recent spate of violence. In particular, the Halimi killing has brought to the fore, again, the viral anti-Semitism in France that hit a pinnacle in March-April 2003 at the start of the invasion of Iraq. The simmering, and often erupting, tensions in France often revolve around the status of Israel and the Palestinian Territories ? pitting Jew against Muslim. France has the largest European minorities of both Jews (600,000) and Muslims (5,000,000), and as such, particular attention must be given constantly to cross-cultural relations.
On another note, some 500,000 youth are protesting across France to prevent a government measure spearheaded by Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin to allow companies to fire youth?those under 26 years old?without justification within two years of hire. Some 200,000 people participated in the Parisian protest alone, according to CGT trade union. Strikes, albeit relatively ineffective ones, were reported in public transit, education, air traffic, post offices, and public employment centers. These social disobedience efforts were the second move against Villepin’s so-called First Hire Contract (CPE); another protest took place on February 7. The CPE is immensely unpopular and would be detrimental not only to the work force but to the already seething social tensions in France. Villepin, however, is adamant about pushing this legislation through, and it is likely to portend anti-government, anti-establishment social clashes in the short-term. As opposition Socialist Party head Francois Hollande said, Villepin “risks having on his hands a rampant protest for several months more.” This bill was passed by the Senate on March 5 and is likely to be voted on in the National Assembly on March 8.
In further inflaming ethno-religious tensions, the French Conseil d’Etat ruled on March 6 that Sikhs must remove turbans for ID card photographs. The United Sikhs will appeal to President Jacques Chirac to intervene and possibly to the European Court of Human Rights as well. The Council contends that it overruled its own decision stemming from a December 2005 case for “the interests of public security and protection of order” (source). The ruling indicates that everyone “pose for driving license photos with bare heads.” Sikh men wear turbans not only for Sikh identity but also for religious reasons. This case, which has been simmering since 2004, is also likely to cause religious upheaval and unrest, as the Sikh community feels persecuted and marginalized. The ruling, however, also has wider implications, banning “conspicuous religious signs?,” thus involving Muslim headscarves, Jewish yarmulkes, Christian crosses, and other religious attire.
Finally, in yet another step toward ethno-religious strife, Ayman al Zawahiri released an audio tape on March 4, calling on Muslims to boycott against nations that published the Mohammed-Cartoons, among them specifically naming France. He called on Muslims to “inflict losses on the crusader West, especially to its economic infrastructure with strikes that would make it bleed for years” (source), likely referring to the oil industry. Since his followers seem to be focusing on the extraction industry, and specifically in Saudi Arabia (Terror Web Watch), the risk to a French oil firm, while certainly present, is unlikely. Rather, more likely is a ban, as is seen against Denmark’s Arla, against French multinational firms?none were specifically identified?in the Middle East.