A home grown terrorist attack shook France last week, this, comes following a tirade or merciless killings Mohamed Merah, a young French man, went on, killing at least 7 people, three of which were children.
The apparently self proclaimed Al Qaida Jihadist allegedly filmed his crimes after he was seen with a camera around his neck and pledged to leak them on the net, he is said to have received Al Qaida training in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
It was also reported by his friends that Merah was a party animal, who regularly went to Rai nightclubs with his girlfriends whom he used to brag about.
Loving night clubs and Al Qaeda training, the two elements required to fit the profile of an islamist extremist to a T.
At this stage, and given the name of the assailant, the word “terrorist” goes hand in hand with Islam, and given that the victims were Jewish including the children and the Rabi, and finally another given being Mohamed Merha’s origins being Algerian, gives us the perfect terrorist.
“Have you heard he’s Algerian”….I was told on that fateful morning at least half a dozen times, to which I had to repeatedly reply, “no I believe he was French with Algerian ancestry, you see Zidane is French, Mohamed Merah is French with Algerian origins?”
Home grown terrorism is home grown for a reason, it is not Algeria that made him into what he is or was, it is not Algeria that instilled hatred and monstrosity into him, no one will ever know, if it was religious (despite his self-proclaimed allegiance to Al Qaida) or political or indeed neo-Nazi as some even suspected, all we know is that he was a very disturbed young man who committed despicable crimes…
What are the reasons for his actions? Avenging Palestinian children it was said? Was he starting the Palestinian spring in the heart of France?
I am not the one for conspiracy theories, but it could be argued that the French authorities and intelligence, having been aware of his trips to Afghanistan and his alleged Al Qaida training or at least his visits to Afghanistan, would have had him on radar. Furthermore, how can a 23 year old young man who presumably was under police surveillance, amass such artillery and commit several crimes petty or otherwise before he was even noticed.
Was he a product of French Intelligence? Some even argued Merah was used by the French authorities/secret services to create a national tragedy in which Sarkozy would come out the winning hero.
Having read multiple and contradicting articles on Merah’s life, between troubled teen years of petty crimes, Al Qaida training in Afghanistan and Waziristan and the final tirade of killings, one truly wonders how he was only 23. Perhaps the globe moves slower on his side of the planet!
Mohamed Merha died on Wednesday, after his home was raided by agents; he “overpowered” the snipers, their thermal camera-guns, gas canisters and high technology in his one bedroom council flat. Then on his last breath and frenzy he jumped off his first floor flat, guns blazing and plummeted to his death ending the long 30 hour siege. Actual cause of death a bullet to the head.
I wonder when the movie is coming out.
Muslims of France are left with the legacy of Mohamed Merah, rising islamophobia and promises of crackdown on any organisation that calls for violence or hate, but in true Sarkozy’s style, he’s probably going to arrest the next flight of pilgrims out to Mecca on grounds of suspicious behaviour and attire.
Pending the French presidential elections, Mohamed Merah’s has made someone’s spring but I doubt it will be that of Palestinian children, perhaps Nicolas Sarkozy? François Holland? Or Marie le Pen? Sarkozy has now gained momentum and moved to 1st place followed closely by Holland. I guess Spring is really here.
Mohamed Merah on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Merah#Mohammed_Merah
Dz-Chick .... Allergic to spring and politics!
I am almost relieved that someone is suggesting an alternative interpretation and a somewhat more intelligenit reading of the events. Why do the media always demonise Algerians? yes, we are not saying that the atrocities committed were in any way forgivable...however, a lot of things really don't add up.
ReplyDeleteAnother troubling fact:
ReplyDeleteThe similarities between Mohamed Merah and one of the soldiers he shot:
Both origin's were Algerian (they insisted on that), both were muslims, they had the same age, same profile, but on the opposite: one owed allegiance to Al Qaida and the other, to French army.
It is awkward because all three soldiers had Maghreb origins... why them? As if they tried to say: look, we have soldiers with Maghrebian origins in French army, we're not racist. And they got shot too, because islamists are against France, against jews, against us, etc. Again, it's "us against them."
Plus, some witnesses have described the man they stumbled across while he was running away after the shootings, whom looks nothing like Mohamed Merah.
PLUS, the speed on which they finished him off, all of those facts lead to many questions...
Anonymous Thanks. No body is condoning what M Merah did, but I’d like to see a media that covers all sides of the story and tackles all angles of the event instead of simplifying it to: Algerian, Mohamed, Islam, Jews, terrorism….Hate the Muslims!
ReplyDeleteMektoubi there are a lot of conspiracy theories out there on the subject …we’ll never know what’s real and what’s theory!
What you are saying is that essentially we’re left with too many questions as to who Mohamed Marah is and what actually happened and why. One thing we’re not doubting is the horrible death of innocent people and children.
Title is spot on! And a balanced article!
ReplyDeleteHopefully things will change with the new generation. Lot of people are fed up with the French attitude toward its previous colony and the Algerian immigration on its soil. Was born and raised there and left just cuz I was tired of all this bullshit.
ReplyDeleteConcerning Merah: he's a murderer. Point. Nothing to say about it unless you're a psychiatrist.
And as always in these cases, I feel sad for the victims, their parents/family/friends, as well as those of the murderer.
Thanks Anonymous
ReplyDeleteWhy you want Mohamed Merah was just French. he hold the Algerian citzenship ( passpsort) by birth. He accuire French citzenship by naturalisation at 18 year with propation of 10 year (that could be strip for felony, crime & or any action against France ...)
ReplyDeleteSometime I whish Algeria was different and all her children could come back and live together in peace and harmony regardless their political views, philisophical or religious convictions, etc. No more hogra, no more harga, no more hijra. Just everybody happy and willing to live there, working together and truly dedicated to make that country what it should/can be : a paradise. I know it's naive, but it's my dream.
ReplyDeleteI'm resentful not toward France or any other country, but toward our own leaders that have constantly failed to live up to our dreams!
I'm disappointed not by the French or any other country's attitude, but by our own incapacity to get rid of that bunch of b*\?@*$ and bring on a true winning team.
Because, Yes we can or - should I say - we could have!
Now don't start me with "why don't you go fight there instead of whining here?" Cuz that's just another story/debate that I already have at times with myself.
I read today Merah was a spy, which would make perfect sense for the whole story (i.e. his trips, the money, why he would was terminated instead of tear gassed ect).
ReplyDeleteI feel sorry for the victims and of course the winners are Sarkozy and the DZ folks who must be happy no opposition is ever going to thrive in France.
But also the French of North African origin, who have not flocked to UK like the Polish despite all the opportunities offered by the EU
ATO
Anonymous I don’t want him to be French of Algerian, I just don’t like dual Nationality used for political convenience. It’s funny you mention he could be striped off his Citizenship for committing felony or any crime/action against France, yet it was reported he was in and out of prison all his “short” life yet he remained a French subject.
ReplyDeleteAllison Dreaming again are we? :)
Do you think what happened in France was all apart of a big conspiracy to cultivate Islamophobia?
Our leaders (expect for a very few) as you put it, have always been too busy filling their Swiss bank accounts and building their mansions and sailing their yachts. It’s a known fact that the Government doesn’t care about the people, we’re more of an inconvenience for them than anything else, but every time we kick a fuss, they throw a bone or two and we calm down for a little while until someone else sets himself on fire or something.
ATO another conspiracy theory, but there is always a little truth in every theory.
He was only 23, I still cannot fathom how or when Mohamed Merah had the time to do all the things he was reported to have done, like travelling to Afghanistan for Al Qaida training, multiple crimes…etc
I don’t however understand your last comment on the French of N. African origin vs. Polish… in the contrary a lot of them have moved to London and are flourishing in business and finance, and many will tell you they feel they belong more in the UK than they ever felt they did in France due to the high level of blatant discrimination they were subjected to in France.
"Do you think what happened in France was all apart of a big conspiracy to cultivate Islamophobia?"
ReplyDeleteDepends what you mean by "happened in France". The killing? Nope.
The media hype? Maybe, although I just see plain stupidity. Medias everywhere are a joke really (except maybe a very few).
All they want is sell, sell, sell.
They don't bother with ethics or consequences.
That guy was just a psychopath if you ask me. His origin/citizenship is just a detail. As someone said, unless you're a psychiatrist, there's not much to say about it.
Had he killed Algerian people or had he been a French "pur beurre", the story would have been covered differently I guess (more oriented on the grief of the families). The media like to exploit our fears and the fear right now in France is Islam/Arabs/Immigration.