The Growing French Racism

Some may remember the demonstrations four years ago in various French cities in protest against the fact that the French nation's soccer team was made up mostly of players of African and Arab descent.

Protesters received a strong response, when France emerged champion of the Soccer World Cup in the event that was hosted by Russia.

In this year's event in Qatar, France was unable to retain its crown, missing two penalties in the final match against Argentina, the new champions, something that can definitely happen at any event.

But not in full view of French fans, when those who failed were two players of African origin. They had not even "forgiven" Mbappé, their star, also of African origin, when he missed a penalty in a game played in Switzerland.

In short, France is going through a very bitter moment after losing in the penalty round against Argentina, but there are two players who are taking the blunt of the blow. They are Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni, who missed their penalty shots.

Both footballers not only had to bear the penalty they missed, but they were also victims of the fury of French fans, who pour on them racist insults on their social networks for their performance in the penalty round, where Emiliano "Dibu" Martínez deflected Coman’s penalty, while Tchouameni's shot went wide.

You are African, not French, friend. Get off the team!" was one of the insults Coman withstood. Offenses of this sort were also targeting Tchouaméni, a Real Madrid midfielder.

COUNTRY SONS WHO DO NOT MARCH

Balls in and out, but this highlights the racist and homophobic spirit of more than a third of children on earth who proclaimed freedom, equality and fraternity, of the nation that owns one of the most beautiful national anthems, La Marseillaise ("Let's march sons of the Fatherland...").

This is not something festive, when we know that one out of three white Frenchmen admits that he is racist and 63% believe that certain behaviors can justify a xenophobic reaction.

The National Commission for Consultation on Human Rights noted that the number of people who confessed to being racist in France increased by 8 points and also revealed "a radicalization of opinions hostile to foreigners", which coincides with an "exhaustion of the mobilization against racism, antisemitism, and xenophobia.

This is real, and it’s an issue that has been going on for many years, and worsening since 2004.

I repeat: eons away since the French Revolution, where the established values were liberty, fraternity, and equality; in that country today xenophobia, intolerance and racism thrive unpunished.

Let’s remember the attacks against the Minister of Justice during the government of François Hollande, Christine Taubira, because of the color of her skin. This was just the hint of a phenomenon that has been established in French society for decades.

A brilliant speaker, Taubira faced repeated attacks, an expression of a rise in racism and xenophobia in France.

VERBAL LYNCHING

«The words used against the Minister of Justice are bullets. It’s a true verbal lynching," said the head delegate of the Francophonie of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France, Yamina Benguiguí.

Truth is that rarely has a personality of her stature been the object of so many attacks through the press, the internet, and at public events.

The attacks began when Anne-Sophie Leclere, a mayor candidate for the far-right National Front (FN) party in the Rethel commune, posted a photomontage on Facebook where she represented the official as a monkey.

Questioned by a television anchorman about this act, Leclere assured that "this has nothing to do with racism," adding that she would rather "see her hanging from the branches of a tree than in the government."

In response to these offenses, Taubira condemned the ideology of the FN and the way of thinking of members of that party who, he said, prefer to see "the blacks in branches, the Arabs in the sea, the homosexuals in the Seine and the Jews in the oven".

A few days after this incident, Minute magazine, also far-right, published on her cover a photograph of the official with an insulting inscription, where she also compared her to an ape.

Added to these attacks were Claudine Declerck, municipal councilor of the conservative Union for a Popular Movement for the Combs-la-Ville commune, who had to resign her position after posting an image on Facebook with insults towards the owner.

The offenses reached its peak, in a demonstration in Angers, in the Maine et Loire department, several participants instigated the children to throw banana peels and attack the minister.

"I accept the blow, but it’s violent for my children, for my relatives," Taubira confessed.

I thought of this example, because in France racism is not punished, which is a crime, even if it destroys social cohesion.

The truth is that these groups of the wide variety of the right are incapable of drawing a horizon for the country, and they spend their lives telling the French people that they are invaded, besieged, and in danger.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff