Islam versus Europe

The article I posted a few days ago about the attack on Catholics in Nîmes attracted a lot of attention. Since my source for that article, Les petits échos d'Oran, has published an update on it, I thought I should repost it here.

Before I do that, though, let me say that I saw a brief mention of this story on a North American TV programme, reposted as a YouTube video. The clip featured still images of stone-throwing, Arab-looking youths. I’ve no idea where those images came from. I doubt very much that they are photographs of the incident in question. My guess would be that they are images of stone-throwing Arabs from Judea and Samaria.

Now the translation from Les petits échos d'Oran:

After a telephone call from Mr Michel PEREZ, president of the association of Amis de Notre Dame de Santa Cruz [Friends of Our Lady of Santa Cruz], we are publishing the clarifications that he asks us to add to the article in les petits échos about the meeting of the senior members of the JUDB [Joyous Union Don Bosco] in Nîmes.

According to the author of the article in La Provence, whom we in turn have contacted, our article “musulmans vs chrétiens” [Muslims vs. Christians] has been spread widely on the internet and, “everyone adding their own personal touch”, from transmission to transmission, the event is said to have taken on catastrophic proportions and set the Oranian community into a state of agitation.

Mr Perez thus demands a right of reply so that the events of that day in Nîmes, as reported in les petits échos, are re-established with exactitude, and he states to us:

- that there is no conflict between Christians and Muslims in this part of Mas de Mingue.
- and that the term “intifada” is inappropriate – even exaggerated – as regards the reality of the events that occurred.

Point noted.

Clarifications of Mr Michel Pérez

“In contrast to what was written in the article in La Provence dated 5 October and repeated by Les petits échos, none of the cars was struck by thrown stones and one coach – only one – which did not take the route recommended by Pérez, was struck by projectiles.

Indeed, at the moment of departure, Michel Pérez was informed of the disturbance that prevailed down below, provoked by young people from the town, and of the presence of the police on the spot.

He took immediate measures to avoid inconvenience to the participants in the day’s event who were leaving for home by indicating to them another route that avoided having to cross the town.

All were able to get back to the road without a problem.

In addition, he spoke with the person in charge of the mosque in the district, who is a friend of his, and who confirmed that these acts had been committed by “excitable young people” from the town.

Mr Pérez makes it clear, again, that this was simply a case of incivility from certain groups of irresponsible young people in the district, of a kind that exists everywhere in Nîmes or elsewhere.

He also informs us that a meeting is due to take place in the near future, bringing together the city authorities and representatives of the association of the Amis de Santa Cruz [Friends of Santa Cruz], to discuss this event.”
End of quote

We thus ask the readers of Les Petits échos to excuse us for publishing the wrong number of vehicles struck that day.

We make this correction with good grace but we take back nothing of the opinions we expressed in the article about the uncivil acts which are spreading across France, committed by the same people.

…We hope that these clarifications will reassure the agitated Oranian community.

They will continue to be able to meditate in the low chapel or the Sanctuary of Santa Cruz de Nîmes … provided they choose the safe route, of course!

Source: Les petits échos d'Oran

Les petits échos d'Oran also received this email about the incident in question, which was posted as a comment to the article above:

"Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2011 4:23 PM
Subject: tr: Fw: Nîmes

This account is truthful, I was there and the coach I was in had to take another route after some dangerous manoeuvres to avoid the thrown stones that had struck the individual cars and other buses in front of us.
J M-C "

Decide for yourself whether Mr Pérez, with his mosque-managing Muslim friend, is in the right here, or whether the original account was more accurate. I know what I think.