Re: French Secularism, suburbia and Burning Beds

duh...I'm very sorry about somehow getting your name wrong, Valérie.

I looked over the comments below the article but didn't read them very
deeply. They sound typical US lowbrow stupidity. I have a feeling,
though, that if extremists are in charge of the Muslim Congress in
France, any restriction upon freedom of expression for Muslims will only
solidify their support rather than disperse it.

The Badiou article is really about the conception of evil in the liberal
tradition. There are a couple glaring blind spots but it's pretty
interesting.

Jim

Valérie Aron wrote:

>First, I'm not Tina.
>Secondly, yes of course, some French are narrow-minded. We are just humans
>(although some people do deny us this characteristic...).
>Actually, what stroke me the most was not the article, which was correctly
>drafted, but the comments below it. I just cannot grant any respect to a
>comment ending with 'God bless America', or ' Chirac, Mister Irak".
>Also, I think that Chirac's speech takes place in a special french context
>which justifies that Chirac focuses so much on secularism. It's not just
>about scarves, but about other events often linked to the recent election
>that occured in the Muslim Congress of France ( extremist groups did took
>control of it). It also refers to problems arising in a French Island called
>La Corse, that is to say a very very domestic question...
>
>But thanks for the link to Alain Badiou's article. I'll read it when calmed
>down....
>Valérie
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "James Rovira" <jrovira@drew.edu>
>To: <bananafish@roughdraft.org>
>Sent: Monday, July 07, 2003 9:02 PM
>Subject: Re: French Secularism, suburbia and Burning Beds
>
>
>
>
>>Yes, Tina, I do. In this case sadism and totalitarianism is expressed
>>by the imposition of a bland secularism upon an entire populace whether
>>they believe in it or not. I really don't see how we can walk in
>>another person's shoes when we don't allow them to wear their own shoes
>>to begin with. Why can't Muslim girls wear their head scarves? Why is
>>that so threatening? Who do they hurt?
>>
>>Honestly, a lot of the French are sounding just as narrow and intolerant
>>as a lot of good old redneck boys do over here in 'merika.
>>
>>I did mediate my opinion in my next post, though -- I'd really like to
>>read the full text of Chirac's speech.
>>
>>I'll further qualify what I said right now: I don't think that Chirac as
>>a person is sadistic and totalitarian, but that Enlightenment Liberalism
>>is inherently sadistic and totalitarian, especially when it comes to
>>religious faith or anything else that doesn't fit in with straight
>>capitalism, free market, money is all we need to have in common ideals...
>>
>>Check out this interview with another guy with a French sounding name,
>>Alain Boudiou, who I think has some interesting insights:
>>
>>http://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/5/alainbadiou.php
>>
>>Jim
>>
>>PS So what, Chirac gets beat up a bit :). Bush gets it all the time.
>>
>>
>>Valérie Aron wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I thought I was going to have a nice evening, and all, when I opened my
>>>
>>>
>mail
>
>
>>>box and had the stupid curiosity to take a look at the article about
>>>
>>>
>Chirac,
>
>
>>>and , the best!, at the comments coming from subscribers. My feelings
>>>
>>>
>were
>
>
>>>shared between sadness, rage, and consternation. And pity.
>>>Hmm, I'm gonna try to save the next hours from total despair ....
>>>Oh, Jim, are you sure you know what 'sadistic" and 'totalitarian" mean?
>>>Valérie
>>>
>>>
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Received on Mon Jul 7 15:41:32 2003