[Editorial] The Islamic Riots Overtaking France

Riots that began on October 27 in the suburbs of Paris by Islamic youth in France have been going on for over ten days. Thousands of cars have been burned and the riots are spreading, to Paris and around the country. The situation is more serious than it was in the United Kingdom, where Muslim integration policy has been put to the test in the wake of the July terrorist attacks on the London Underground.

The riots can be compared to the Black riots in Los Angeles in 1992 in that they reflect the frustration of a minority who face social discrimination. They are also similar in that they began by chance, in relation to a police check-up. There is everyday conflict between Muslim youth in France and police, like Blacks in America. They account for 8 percent of France's total population, and yet for them unemployment is many times greater than other groups, at almost 30 percent. It would not be unreasonable to believe that the discrimination begins as early as on job applications.

It is at least fortunate that there does not appear to be any connection with Islamic radicals. But it must be remembered that those behind the terrorist attacks in London were ordinary Muslim young men. France has pursued a policy of national unity in which all ethnicities and races with French citizenship are given the universal welfare and equal opportunity. That has been considered a strong point compared to the United States, which has a weak welfare system but cares for its minorities though laws protecting the disadvantaged, and Germany, where immigrants have an even harder time acquiring citizenship. The situation demonstrates so well that any model will encounter a crisis if it fails to resolve actual discrimination.

The advance of globalization is leading to growing conflict regarding discrimination against minorities in all countries. Korea's resident foreigners surpassed 1 percent of the population a long time ago. The worries faced by French society are not exclusively of French concern. Korea has to be prepared before any problems appear.

The Hankyoreh, 7 November 2005.

[Translations by Seoul Selection]