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"I
wish to tell the children from these difficult neighborhoods,
whatever their origins, that they are all sons and daughters of
the republic," Chirac said. (Reuters)
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PARIS,
November 15, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Vowing to
fight the "poison" of discrimination faced by France's
immigrant communities, French President Jacques Chirac acknowledged
widespread rioting in the country revealed a deep identity crisis, as
his government was Tuesday, November 15, to offer to the National
Assembly a bill extending until February a state of emergency.
"We
will build nothing lasting without fighting discriminations that are a
poison for society," Chirac said late Monday, in his first
address to the nation since the troubles began on October 27.
"We
will build nothing durable unless we recognize and take on board the
diversity of French society."
It
was the sign of a "deep malaise" in French society, he added
in his televised address, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Chirac
vowed to uphold law and order, but also to tackle the underlying
causes of the riots.
The
president, who had been accused of taking a back seat in the crisis,
appealed directly to youths from the poor, high-immigration suburbs
where the unrest has been concentrated, assuring them they had a full
place in French society.
"I
wish to tell the children from these difficult neighborhoods, whatever
their origins, that they are all sons and daughters of the
republic," he said.
In
a direct acknowledgement of the economic and social roots of the
unrest, Chirac announced the creation of a paid training and
employment scheme for 50,000 youths from such areas and a series of
measures to improve access to the workplace and to combat
discrimination.
Chirac
also warned there would be no impunity for those who took part in the
violence, the worst rioting to hit France since the student uprising
of May 1968, saying all would face justice.
He
sent out a tough message to the parents of youths who joined the
violence, saying that those who failed to assume their
responsibilities towards their children "should be punished,
according to the law."
He
also vowed to crack down on illegal immigration and trafficking, and
called for the rules on family reunification to be strictly upheld.
Emergency
Bill
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Riots
continued to wane. (Reuters)
|
Earlier
Monday, the French government decided to extend until February a state
of emergency introduced on November 8 to subdue the unrest. The
cabinet has agreed on a bill to go before parliament this week.
With
both chambers dominated by the center-right, the bill is expected to
pass easily. It will be presented to the upper house senate Wednesday.
But
the Communist Party plans to boycott the vote and the main opposition
Socialists are expected to oppose the law, according to Reuters.
"I
want to express our extreme reserve about the extension, all the more
so since the measures have been used only on rare occasions,"
said Socialist Party spokesman Julien Dray.
The
emergency powers including curfews were introduced under a 50-year-old
colonial-era law to grant prefects, France's top local officials,
broad powers to impose curfews and other restrictions on designated
areas.
The
decree named 38 towns, cities and urban areas across France. But few
prefects have made use of the new powers, Reuters said.
French
Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin was to meet leaders of the main
political parties Tuesday just before the vote on the draft law in the
National Assembly, his office said, according to Reuters.
Chirac
earlier told the cabinet the emergency powers were "strictly
temporary and will only be applied where they are strictly
necessary."
Meanwhile,
national police figures showed the rioting continued to subside, with
162 cars burned overnight Monday -- down from 271 the night before and
well below the 1,400 destroyed at the peak of the trouble a week ago.
As
well, 42 people were detained, compared to 112 the previous night,
bringing to more than 2,800 the number of arrests since October 27,
according to AFP.
One
police officer was wounded during the 19th night of urban unrest and
three Molotov cocktails were lobbed at a mosque at Saint Chamond,
southwest of France's third city Lyon, causing minor damage.
More
than 8,000 cars have been burned, scores of buildings wrecked and
dozens of police hurt in attacks carried out mainly by French youths
of Arab and African origins.
French
authorities are expected in coming days to start deporting a number of
foreign nationals convicted over the violence, despite fierce protests
from rights groups and the opposition.
