The Roots of Terrorism in France

The offices of  Charlie Hebdo were attacked on January 7, 2015  by two assailants. Their  grievance  was that the satirical newspaper was an "offense" to Islam. Paris was in a state of panic. The two criminals known as Said and Cherif  kouachi targeted staff  of Charlie Hebdo. The two brothers had known links to terrorist organizations and had criminal records. There was no intelligence failure, because they were on the no fly list. The roots of the terrorist attacks are clear. The first problem is France's involvement in Francophone Africa. The intervention in Mali has created blow back. Another issue is immigration policy. The most precarious challenge is the fact that France is a racist and exclusionary country. The idea of the March for Unity is merely an illusion. It presents an image that France is open to all groups of various ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds. This clever fabrication has been presented by the mass media for weeks. The true roots of  terrorism emerge from military intervention and excluding groups from participation in society.

        France has made the mistake of engaging in regime change, which resulted in blow back. France along with the UK and US attacked Libya in 2011. The fall of Qaddafi resulted in destabilization in Mali. Azawad for decades has sought independence. This province of Mali has a population of  Tuaregs seeking national self-determination. This ethnic group has experienced persecution and has been seeking refuge, ever since the independence era. Libya was supportive of this cause and had a Tuareg population of its own. With the end of the NATO war many Tuaregs loyal to Qaddafi fled to Mali. Ethnic conflict and civil war made Libya an unsafe place to remain. The National Movement for the liberation of Azawad  a group fighting for independence in northern Mali was empowered. The group acquired weapons they were given to rebel factions in Libya. 

These are the areas in which the Tuareg population is distributed 

The NMFLA  was not powerful enough to overthrow the government  until it allied with in coming radical Islamist groups. France wanted to protect its interests in Mali and sent troops. When ever the West invades foreign countries, terrorism will blossom. The Islamic Sate of Iraq is the creation of the West attempting to depose Bashar AlAssad. The UK, US, and France wanted to use an Islamist insurgency that started in the country as an excuse for regime change. Soon  numerous armed groups  were given weapons to do this. When this failed, terrorist groups adjusted their strategy. They then invaded parts of Iraq to establish bases and performed massive recruiting efforts. Europe was the primary target. Young  Muslims from Europe went to Syria to fight not only the Assad regime, but to create and Islamic state. It was only a matter of time before blow back from intelligence operations occurred.

      France has a chronic problem of racial hatred. The Arab and Muslim community is excluded from the greater society. They are not the only victims. Gypsies and the French African population are subject to violence and discrimination. This is alarming considering France's long history of colonial domination of various people around the globe. By alienating groups it could encourage people to join extremist movements.  The Kouachi brothers were French citizens, but felt no love fro the country. The reason was they would never be accepted;or will any other non-white group. 

These are some of the cartoons of Charlie Hebdo. Although it is meant to be satirical, a subtle message is presented. It is designed to encourage hatred or fear of particular groups. Like blackface caricature, it shows certain stereotypes. The fascinating aspect of the first cover is it shows both antisemitic and islamophobic sentiment. 

This was far more complex than just the publication of cartoons. A society is gradually decaying from a venom of  bigotry. France largely views other cultures as beneath their own. Islam is like Judaism not only a religion, but a culture. France wants to be homogeneous culturally and racially. Various ethnic groups could adopt French culture, but never experience the benefits of citizenship. Simultaneously, the French government refuses to challenge conflicts between different groups. Jews and Muslims are in conflict over the political situation in the Middle East. As more French Jews emigrate to Israel, the Muslim community becomes vexed. The reason is they are departing to colonize more Arab land. Now, French Jews face in some cases attacks from some members of the Muslim community.  The government could care less. France has a long history of antisemitism, but to blame it solely on the Muslim population is ludicrous. France and the West use Israel as a regional enforcer against its competitors in the Middle East. They could care less about Jews and when they are no longer useful discard them. France does not value freedom of religion or equality. The evidence is apparent with the rapid rise of the National Front Party. Far Right extremists are capitalizing on the attacks to advance  an anti-immigrant agenda. 

         Immigration policy needs reform. Open borders could become a major security issue. The reason terrorists are able to travel between Europe and other countries is because of the Schengen Agreement. This was developed around 1995 by the European Economic Community. The treaty was signed ten years earlier and called for the removal of internal border controls and  common visa policy. As long as an individual meets certain visa requirements, they could go through certain checkpoints to various European countries. It is difficult to determine or do background checks on people who enter at various points in the Eurozone. A policy needs to be developed that is neither xenophobic or uncontrolled movement of people. Terrorists can exploit this open border concept to launch attacks or evade capture. At the core of immigration issues is the fact that the West continues to do military strikes around the globe. This contributes to the push and pull factors that cause the mass movement of people. 

            These attacks were no surprise. There were a combination of factors that culminated in violence. Military intervention, neocolonialism, and failed foreign policy has enabled terrorists. Then there are cases in which the West collaborates with terrorists ( Libya and Syria). This is not new, but a technique used to depose certain governments. The rise in extremist violence is the direct result of  American, British, and French interference in the affairs of the Middle East and Africa. Supporting regimes that only serve the West and not their own population has created new followers for radical political Islamist movements. Attacks will continue as long France attempts to rebuild its lost empire.