Paris is burning

IT is now the 13th day of the French riots. There are now a total of 300 towns that have been subjected to fires started or instigated by rampaging groups of disgruntled youths.
The number of vehicles torched is 4,700. Mercifully, only one death resulting from this extraordinary show of defiance by a minority of the French society. There have been a reported six shootings targeted at police and rescue workers.
Thirty-one rescue workers have been recorded as being injured in the line of duty. A total of 77 police officers have been hurt in the series of attacks across the country. The authories are trying their utmost to restore order.
Consequently, 1,200 people have been arrested. These are all facts that have been reported in newspapers and TV networks.
The questions that are on everyone's mind is what triggered all these attacks and what are the sociological reasons behind this phenomenon.
Apparently, the vital spark occurred on Oct 27 when two teenagers died in controversial circumstances.
Analysts and observers have attributed the current wave of unrest to longstanding problems that have been left to fester for decades (20-30 years). The roots of this problems are embedded in impoverished suburbs where the majority are French-born children of Arabs and black African immigrants.
The unemployment rate among the young in this segment of society is said to be as high as 40 per cent, whereas the French national average is only about 10 per cent.
Marginalisation has been perceived and probably felt by the young generation in the poor suburbs for a long time. All it needed for this phenomenon to rear its head was a sociological detonator. And on Oct 27, the situation exploded with the deaths of the two youths.
At Press time, similar attacks have been reported in Belgium and Germany. Some said these were copycat attacks but nevertheless the situation is worrisome. Europe does not need a development of such kind.
In today's Europe, countries like Germany, France, Belgium and Turkey have a sizeable number of migrants who also form a significant portion of their adopted countries' labour force.
In the event of being neglected by society, problems will and do occur. This is not an uncommon phenomenon even in other parts of the world. But in Europe, this problem is becoming acute because remedial measures were not forthcoming in the past and in the present, they are perceived to have been swept under the carpet.
As with as societal issues that are left unsolved, time will engineer its emergence in the most inopportune times. How France will handle her current problem is watched by other nations that are experiencing similar symptoms.
At the same time, political leaders are apprehensive that the frustrated sentiments among the neglected do not mutate into something even more dangerous due to historical and traditions ties.
Thus, today the country that was well known in the past for its famous slogan of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity is presently subjected to the thoes of the very same forces that revolutionised its history several centuries ago.
In truth, for every problem there is an answer. Perhaps the answer may be found in the ashes of its own revolutionary history. We can only hope and pray that France get back on her own two feet with dignity and pride which she has been known for, for a very long time.





Cash is King!