After the attack on Charlie and the Hyper Cacher, and then the one against the Bataclan, I was very shocked by the tendency of some of this country’s political and intellectual elites to move on quickly after the initial shock.
This is how one could engage in learned discussions on the consequences of the state of emergency on our freedoms. Some even doubted its necessity.
Others denied the usefulness of adapting the Constitution, debating endlessly over this purely symbolic measure of revocation of citizenship (bravo to the Senate!). A major error when facing an enemy like Daesh, who perfectly masters the strategy of symbolism.
Some find it normal to let the enemies of the Republic spread conspiracy theories where everything is clear (see some stunning statements after the arrest of Abdeslam).
More broadly, there is this deadly tendency for our Republic to keep giving ground on secularism as if this would appease the terrorists!
Alas, today, the noise, the blood, and the horror in Brussels bring us back to reality. A reality that reminds us—hopefully once and for all—that in the face of this state of war, one must never, ever, lower their guard.
The unity of all those who refuse Islamist fundamentalism is not an option, it’s a matter of survival.
by Patrick Mottard
