National commentators seem to be discovering the ordinary populism of the deputy mayor of Nice, whose exploitation of fear and designation of the internal enemy are part of the usual rhetorical arsenal. Much like the National Front of Jean-Marie Le Pen, Christian Estrosi points out real problems, with outrageous terms and erroneous solutions that have dangerous consequences.
The terrorist cannot militarily defeat his adversary in a classic “war.” He strikes terror through acts of exceptional and gratuitous violence, like the attacks of September 11, 2001, or the beheading of Hervรฉ Gourdel. A political leader, while he must speak the truth, must not, in any way, needlessly fuel fears and thus play into the hands of terrorists.
To speak of a third world war is not only false but also dangerous: one does not combat terrorism by adding fear to the terror it inspires.
The expression “5th column” refers to enemies that must be flushed out within the country. The internal enemy was the Jew for Vichy France. We enter into a logic of suspicion that leads to questioning an 8-year-old child at the police station or distinguishing between the good and the bad French, with Christian Estrosi even declaring, “An identity card does not make a Frenchman.”
Talking about fifth columns is an error that can have serious consequences: one does not combat terrorism by breaking national unity.
By speaking of “Islamist fifth columns in France,” Christian Estrosi already designates the enemy to be fought within our borders, the one who threatens “our Judeo-Christian civilization,” thus designating each of the two camps by a religious affiliation.
In reality, the opposition is not between Islam and Judeo-Christian civilization, thereby suggesting a clash of civilizations, but between a new form of subjugation exploiting a religion on one side and the defense of freedom on the other.
The Alpes-Maritimes is one of the departments with the largest number of departures for Jihad. Christian Estrosi denounces without making any concrete proposals, in a populist approach with obvious electoral aims.
It is not through stigmatization, fueling fears, and inciting denunciation that we will effectively confront a danger of such gravity.
by David Nakache
