France: Dozens reported dead as truck plows into crowd in Nice, France (GRAPHIC IMAGES)

July 14, 2016 By administrator

Dozens of people have been killed and many more were injured after a truck plowed into a crowd in Nice, France during Bastille Day celebrations.

The local police prefect has confirmed that least 30 people were dead and over 100 were injured in the crash, Reuters reported, citing BFM TV.

Sebastien Humbert, the perfect for the Alpes-Maritime area, detailed the circumstances of the crash, explaining the high number of casualties to BFM.

“A truck rammed into the crowd over a long distance, which explains this extremely heavy toll,” he said.

BFM also said that authorities have classified the the incident as an “attack.”

“There are people in blood, probably full of wounded,” a reporter for the Nice Matin newspaper said.

According to an eyewitness report cited by BFM, the driver of the truck shouted, “Allahu Akbar!” before the attack.

President of the Provence Alpes Cote d’Azur region Christian Estrosi said on Twitter that “dozens” of people were been killed in the incident.

Local media has dubbed the incident an act of terror, reporting at least 50 fatalities. No official confirmation has been released so far.

Police have cordoned off Promenade des Anglais completely following the attack. Nobody is able to leave the area at the moment, Alain Marchall, the BFM correspondent at the site, reported.

“The promenade is closed, locked, as I am speaking. It is impossible to [gain] access. The police and private security have cordoned it off. We cannot move forward or go along Promenade des Anglais,” he said.

“I see residents who wonder how they can access their apartments, which is impossible at the moment.”

France`s president, Francois Holland, is convening an emergency meeting at an Interior Ministry crisis center, Reuters reported.

https://twitter.com/harp_detectives/status/753692774885621760

France closes embassy in Turkey Ankara, consulate in Istanbul until further notice

July 13, 2016 By administrator

France on Wednesday, July 13 said it had closed its embassy in the Turkish capital Ankara and its consulate in Istanbul until further notice for security reasons, after cancelling events to mark the July 14 Bastille Day holiday, AFP reports.

“The Embassy of France in Ankara, as well as the Consulate General in Istanbul will be closed from Wednesday July 13, 1:00 pm (1000 GMT), until further notice,” the embassy said in a statement after scrapping the July 14 receptions at the missions on security grounds.

It did not give any further details on how the closure would be implemented.

France’s consulate in Istanbul, its embassy in Ankara and its mission in the Aegean city of Izmir were all to have held celebrations marking the July 14 Bastille Day.

French consul to Istanbul Muriel Domenach wrote on Twitter the events in all three cities had been cancelled “for security reasons” and France was in touch with the Turkish authorities, AFP says.

Earlier, the Istanbul consulate had sent an email message to French citizens in Turkey saying there had been “concurring information of a serious threat against the organisation of the July 14 celebrations in Turkey”.

It said the decision had been taken in coordination with the Turkish authorities.

Turkey is on a high security alert following the June 28 attack on Istanbul’s main airport which was blamed on Islamic State (IS) jihadists and killed 47 people.

Thirty-seven suspects have been placed under arrest over suspicion of involvement in the attacks. Of these, 15 are Turks and 22 foreigners, according to official media, AFP says.

Authorities have said a number of citizens of ex-Soviet republics are among the suspects, raising concerns over the threat to Turkey from Islamist militancy in the Central Asia and the Northern Caucasus.

But of seven suspects arrested earlier this week, three are Algerian, two Tunisian and two Egyptian, the state-run Anadolu Agency said.

AFP. France shuts missions in Turkey until further notice

The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the French amendment on Holocaust denial

July 9, 2016 By administrator

turkey FM The Turkish Foreign Ministry has warned that the amendment criminalizing the denial of “genocide” adopted unanimously by the lower house of French parliament on July 1, had the potential to unlawfully limit freedom ‘expression.

The spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. Tanju Bilgiç said July 6, 2016 in response to a question regarding the adoption by the French National Assembly an amendment on freedom of the press: “We followed closely the process of drafting and adoption of the draft amendment of the law on press freedom adopted by the French parliament on criminalizing the denial of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide under certain conditions.

In case the project would be enacted in its current form, it could expose the risk of limiting freedom of expression illegally, especially in infringing the case law of the ECHR and the Constitutional Council of France.

We will follow closely the process ahead, in the near future with the French Senate regarding the project that has not yet been promulgated.

We expect the French Senate withdraw the project elements that could expose the risk of limiting the freedom of expression. “

For his part the Azerbaijani APA news agency did an interview with Osman Koruturk former Turkish ambassador to Paris and former member of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) Istanbul which reads:

APA -After 3 and a half years, the French parliament passed an amendment criminalizing protest of the “Armenian genocide”. What is the purpose of this insistence?

Osman Koruturk -It’s absolutely a question related to the personal interests of French politicians, not of their love for the Armenians. There are many rich Armenians in different regions of France, they have a significant influence in politics. One of the main advisers to Hollande in the election were Armenian. During the election campaign, Hollande promised to adopt this law.

After the discussion of the bill in parliament, the Sarkozy initiative politician who does not seriously follows the rule of law, (to get the support of Armenians), the French Constitutional Council rejected the bill, because it violates “human rights, freedom of speech and expression”. At that time, we were happy that the French Constitutional Council has highlighted human rights, France is the cradle of liberties. But now, the Parliament passed a similar law on the initiative of Holland, with a small addition: the current law does not provide for the approval of “genocide” by an independent tribunal to punish those who deny the “Armenian genocide “. Therefore, despite the fact that no independent court has made a decision “genocide” about the events of 1915, they decided to include it in a common framework with other genocides officially recognized. But this time, the French Constitutional Council can not reject the bill. So far, before the emergence of such problems, the Turkish government had mobilized and sent its representatives who are familiar with this issue in the respective countries to lcombattre through legal, diplomatic and political.

APA -Here what I wanted to ask. Do you think the Government has today little attention to this issue?

Osman Koruturk -The previous members of the AKP, CHP and MHP were sent to the West to explain the just position of Turkey on this issue. Our work in this area has been very helpful. The last time we went to Italy in 2015 and we held very productive meetings in Parliament and the Senate. Now the government does not pay attention to these issues, and therefore does not organize visits of parliamentary parties abroad. Although the European Court of Human Rights delivered a judgment objective and essential for Turkey’s complaint Dogu Perinçek. The government and the Turkish National Assembly should pay more attention to these issues. We have not seen the activity of the government and the Grand National Assembly, even on the eve of the decision adopted by the German Bundestag in early June. This also applies to the opposition parties represented in Parliament.

APA last -The year, false accusations of “Armenian genocide” would not have managed to create the necessary effect, if there was involvement of the Turkish government? On the eve of the decision of the Bundestag, we have seen the manifestation of the members of Talat Pasha Committee, which is chaired by Perinçek in Berlin …

Osman Koruturk -We need to widely inform citizens of France and Germany of Turkish origin. Not only our diplomatic missions, but our NGOs should establish close relations with these citizens. Citizens of France of Turkish origin must be able to communicate directly with members of parliament and senators, to bring them to their conditions during election campaigns, and vote only after the acceptance of these conditions. To participate actively in the socio-political life of the country, which they are citizens, and gain the opportunity to influence the legislative and executive bodies, it is necessary to provide full support to European citizens of Turkish origin.

APA -In speaking of the common position of the political parties represented in the Grand National Assembly on the “Armenian genocide”, you have not mentioned the HDP. When Turkey is fighting against injustice, some leaders of the HDP hold meetings with leaders of the Dashnak organizations in the US, with the aim to “cooperate with them to determine the future of Turkey.” Some members of HDP organize protests in this regard within the GANT. Why the direction of Parliament did not give an appropriate response?

Osman Koruturk -The Turkey is a country in which most of the issues can be discussed by political means. In this case, regardless of party, holding negotiations abroad is not pleasant. Who has a say, it should put before the Parliament and receive appropriate responses. There is no need to hold discussions on Turkey in foreign countries.

Saturday, July 9, 2016,
Stéphane © armenews.com

Karabakh in focus of Armenian, French Presidents’ meeting

July 9, 2016 By administrator

meeting 333 President Serzh Sargsyan and his French counterpart Francois Hollande on Saturday, July 9 discussed the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in Warsaw, the presidential press service reports.

Talking on the sidelines of a NATO summit, Sargsyan hailed Frances’ and personally Hollande’s own efforts aimed at resolving the issue.

Both of them attached great importance to previous meetings in Vienna and Saint Petersburg, during which Armenian and Azeri leaders discussed opportunities for bringing the negotiation process back on track.

Sargsyan and Azeri leader Ilham Aliyev met on June 20 in Saint Petersburg to address the conflict, with Russian President Vladimir Putin mediating the talks. The Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents confirmed their commitment to the implementation of agreements reached at a Vienna-hosted meeting on May 16. To that end, they have agreed to increase the number of international observers in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone. Also, they expressed satisfaction that the ceasefire was now holding.

Prior to that, a meeting between both leaders was organized on May 16 in Vienna, with top diplomats from the MG co-chairing countries hosting the summit.

Hailing evermore developing economic relations between the two countries, President Sargsyan expressed gratitude over the French National Assembly’s vote to criminalize the denial of the Armenian Genocide.

Papazian: France constitutional court unlikely to reject law criminalizing denial of Armenian Genocide

July 6, 2016 By administrator

genocide as crime

YEREVAN. – The law criminalizing the denial of genocides will make it impossible to conduct the Turkish policy of denial in France, representative of the Armenian community said.

“This was a pre-election promise of Francois Hollande, and he kept it. This is a bill to criminalize the denial of all genocides and crimes against humanity. The bill will be reviewed in September and will be mst likely adopted. With the adoption of this draft law in France, no one will any longer have the right to say that there was no Armenian Genocide, and this also applies to other genocides as well,” co-chairman of the Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France Mourad Papazian told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The National Assembly (NA) of France adopted the amendments proposed to the bill on “Equality and citizenship” on July 1. The amendments propose to establish 45,000 euro penalty for denying the crimes against humanity. In fact, the document specifically mentions about criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial.

Asked whether it is possible that the French Constitutional Council could reject the law as it happened last time, Mr. Papazian said that this time the bill had been studied by lawyers and such an outcome is almost impossible: “We made sure that there were no gaps. We are pretty sure that this time the court will not give up. But, of course, we cannot be 100%”.

Representatives of the Armenian community of France are doing everything to ensure that in September the bill would pass the Senate. Mr. Papazian added that the Turkish side is also active in the opposite.

French MPs vote to criminalise denial of Armenian genocide

July 4, 2016 By administrator

French MP genocide The new amendment covers all events which French law deems to be genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes or slavery, including ‘denial or trivialisation’

By Rachael Pells,

French MPs have voted unanimously to pass a law banning the denial of crimes against humanity.

The amendment was passed as an extension of the current French holocaust law and includes “denial or trivialisation” of all events classed as genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes or slavery as punishable crimes.

The act means that denial of events such as the Armenian genocide will be punishable by up to one year in prison and a 45,000 Euro fine (approximately £37,760).

The French parliament passed an Armenian genocide law in 2001 and tried to ban denial of it in 2012. The law, which made it illegal to negate acts that parliament had decided were crimes against humanity, was blocked by the Constitutional Council, however, on the grounds that it was a limit on freedom of expression.

While the new motion is yet to be passed by France’s Senate, backers of the amendment hope for it to be implemented by the end of the year.

The bill also allows NGOs that campaign on slavery issues to take legal action against related denial crimes.

Nearly 1.5 million people were executed by Ottoman armies during World War One.

Turkish officials have said the killings were part of a collective tragedy during which both Turks and Armenians died, but Armenians have long campaigned for the mass murders to be categorised as a crime against humanity.

Last month, Germany voted to recognise the Armenian killings as genocide – a term rejected by ministers in Ankara

French government tabled Support bill penalizing denial of Genocide

June 29, 2016 By administrator

France table genocide The French government tabled a text penalizing the denial of genocides and crimes against humanity under the bill Equality and Citizenship, whose examination began at the National Assembly.

The government amendment specifies that “will be punished the same way those who have denied, trivialized or minus of outrageous manner by one of the means set forth in article 23, the existence of a genocide (…) another crime against humanity, a crime of enslavement or exploitation of a disabled person in slavery or war crimes (…) “.

The Armenian Organizations Coordination Council of France (CCAF) welcomes and supports this initiative which is consistent with the commitments of the President of the Republic, paid by the government.

Including the text in the bill Equality and Citizenship, denial of genocide is not registered under the memorial laws but in the corporate laws, like the fight against racism and antisemitism.

The CFC also welcomes the willingness of the government to include the defense of the truth of the Armenian Genocide in the frame, more global, the values of the French Republic. As we hope that such legislation is finally adopted this year, we welcome the commitment of all members who have accompanied us during all these years.

Today, for the first time, we have a government initiative.

We call on all parliamentary forces to rally behind this consensus text.

The text on the link below.

AMENDMENT No. 1559 presented by the Government

ARTICLE 38 TER Replace paragraphs 2-8 the following ten paragraphs:

“1. The fifth paragraph of Article 24 is amended as follows:

“A) After the word” humanity “are inserted the words” the enslavement of crime and exploitation of an enslaved person “;

“B) is supplemented by the words”, including if these crimes have not resulted in the conviction of perpetrators “;

“2. After the first paragraph of Article 24a are inserted three paragraphs as follows:” Will be punished the same way those who have denied, trivialized or minus of outrageous manner by one of the means set forth in Article 23 the existence of a genocide other than those referred to in the first paragraph of another crime against humanity, a crime of enslavement or exploitation of a disabled person in slavery or war crime, as defined by Articles 6, 7 and 8 of the Statute of the international criminal Court created in Rome on 17 July 1998 and by articles 211-1 to 212- 3 224
1 A to C 224-1 and 461-1 to 461
31 of the Criminal Code when:

“1 This crime resulted in a conviction by a French or international court or,

“2. The denial, markdown or the trivialization of the crime constitutes incitement to violence or hatred against a group of persons or a member of such a group defined by reference to the alleged race, color, religion, descent or national origin. “;

“3. After Article 48-1, inserted Article 48-1-1 as follows;

1-1. – All regularly registered association for at least five years, is intended by its statutes to fight against slavery or defend the memory of slaves and the honor of their descendants may exercise the rights granted to the civil party in respect apology offenses, denial, markdown or trivialization of crimes of enslavement or exploitation of a disabled person in slavery under articles 24 and 24 bis.

“However, when the offense is committed against persons considered individually, the association will be admissible in its action if it proves it has obtained the consent of such persons or to justify that these persons do not oppose prosecution. “

SUMMARY STATEMENT

The fight against discrimination is a priority of the Government, which finds expression in this bill. It requires recognition of its more extreme forms, such as crimes against humanity, including genocide and slavery crimes.

The specificity of these crimes requires that they can be judged and recognized by the court as long as their authors remain, that is why they are imprescriptible. It also means fighting beyond, against their denial or trivialization.

The questioning of these crimes, be it genocide, trafficking and slavery or any other crime against humanity when it contradicts the facts that have been tried and found by the courts, or when it incites hatred or violence, may indeed be tolerated.

MP Victorin Lurel wanted to make a significant improvement in this respect to our legislative system when reviewing the text in committee, by broadening the scope of the repression of the protest or the trivialization of crimes against humanity, today ‘ hui limited to the denial of the Holocaust, in all these crimes, including trafficking and slavery.

The Government shares this objective and therefore fully supports this approach. He therefore wishes to ensure the highest level of legal certainty on a sensitive issue, and have shown a decision of the Constitutional Council in 2012 and a notice of the State Council in 2013.

The aim of this amendment is to improve the wording of article 38 bis adopted in committee to clarify and strengthen the legal security.

It thus provides:

• To better distinguish advocating crimes against humanity, which falls under Article 24 of the Press Law, it should be supplemented to mention there slavery, their denial. It should also be noted that for the apologies of Article 24, it is not required that the perpetrators were convicted.

• Better define the negation of crime or trivialisation of these crimes respecting both constitutional requirements and the Framework Decision 2008/913 / JHA of 28 November 2008 on the fight against certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia means of criminal law. Two hypotheses are thus provided for either the crimes were the subject of a conviction by an international court or by a French court, or the denial or trivialization of these crimes is exercised in a way that incites violence or hatred.

While only the denial of the Holocaust is repressed today, this text will punish the challenge or the trivialization of all crimes against humanity or war crimes, but not limited to, when they have been recognized by a court.

It will, for example, penalize the denial of the Rwandan genocide.

But it will, above and more generally, to take into account the historically recognized crimes, although their seniority rules out any possibility for the court to decide when their dispute or trivializing them will be committed in conditions encouraging to hatred or violence. This second category will notably cover the case of the Armenian genocide of 1915, which France has recognized, but there is more opportunity to prosecute. •

Allow associations to fight against slavery or slaves defense memory and honor of their descendants to become a civil party in proceedings to these crimes.

Other information available: EQUALITY LAW AMENDMENT AND CITOYNNETÉ 1559

Frexit Friction: What Does Sarkozy Mean Talking About New European Treaty?

June 27, 2016 By administrator

On Sunday, amid the fallout of the British vote to leave the EU, former French President Nikolas Sarkozy, the leader of the center-right Republicans party, proposed a French referendum on a new European Treaty. Meanwhile, former Sarkozy cabinet minister and Republicans’ member Alain Juppe seemed to suggest that such a move would be ‘irresponsible’.

In a Sunday interview with the French television channel France 2, Sarkozy suggested that a French referendum on a new European treaty could be possible before the end of the year, adding that “we must not be afraid of the people.” In apparent response, speaking to Le Monde on Monday, Alain Juppe suggested that “holding a referendum in France today would be totally irresponsible.”

Asked whether the apparent divergence of opinion indicates a split in the party, Republicans MEP Constance Le Grip told Sputnik that Mr. Juppe’s remarks have been misunderstood.

“Mr. Sarkozy reintroduced his proposal to reform the European Union,” the politician said. “After the victory of Brexit, it’s impossible to pretend that nothing happened. We must return to a new project, given that the people no longer support the current European project. The new treaty would be ratified in France only by referendum.”

As for Mr. Juppe’s comments, Le Grip explained that “when Alain Juppe said that it would be irresponsible to hold a referendum at the moment, he was not speaking of the referendum proposed by Mr. Sarkozy. Mr. Juppe was referring to the referendum of the kind which just took place in the UK, the one which Ms. Marine Le Pen is insisting on: on membership in the European Union. Such a referendum would be totally irresponsible, and Mr. Sarkozy agrees with this view.”

At the same time, Le Grip explained, like Sarkozy, Juppe “also advocates for reform: for the reform of the European project.”

On Sunday, speaking to Le Journal du Dimanche, and commenting on the political situation in Europe following Brexit, Sarkozy said that if he was the French leader in the present situation, he “would suggest that France and Germany put on the table to the heads of state and government [of the European Union] a draft five-point plan prohibiting the Brussels technocracy from turning into a legal monster.”

He added that he would propose that the leaders of the 27 EU member nations gather for a three day meeting with the aim of jointly developing a “simple, clear” project and policy, including a Euro-Schengen II and the harmonization of social assistance for foreigners, requiring five years of residence to qualify and no benefits for illegals.

Perhaps most significantly, Sarkozy suggested that the new basic treaty, put up to referendum, should limit “Europe’s powers to a maximum of ten strategic priorities.” Finally, the new treaty would need to “clearly say that the enlargement of Europe is finished,” ending “the hypocrisy which prevails today in our relations which Turkey, which is not intended to enter Europe.”

On Friday, soon after the results of the Brexit referendum became clear, Sarkozy suggested that “the European Union can no longer function as before. Its deep restructuring is urgent and had to be considered long ago. In this regard, I call on the EU heads of state and governments to decide to devise a new basic treaty, which will demonstrate to our people that Europe is ready to take their destiny into their own hands.”

On the eve of the Brexit referendum, the politician insisted that a joint Franco-German initiative would have to be made “in the coming months,” regardless of the results, aimed a fundamental rethink of the EU project.

Meanwhile, over the weekend, speaking with major French opposition leaders about the results of Brexit, President Francois Hollande met with Front National leader Marine Le Pen, who asked him to hold a referendum similar to that held in the UK on France’s future in the supranational union.

“We have called for the implementation of a referendum to ask the French if they want to remain in the European Union. He said no,” Le Pen told journalists, adding that she was disappointed with the president’s remarks. “It’s almost as though we said a dirty word; the people have really become the last wheel of the cart.”

On Thursday, the UK held a referendum to determine whether or not the country should leave the EU. According to the final results, 51.9% of voters, or 17.4 million people, decided to support Brexit, while about 16.1 million opposed it. Total voter turnout was 72.2%.

France: According to Carpenter, the text criminalizing Holocaust denial is almost ready

June 22, 2016 By administrator

genocide criminalizing France is seriously considering adopting a new law criminalizing denial of the Armenian Genocide, assured yesterday the French Ambassador to Armenia, Jean-François Charpentier.

“The text is almost ready,” said Charpentier at a press conference in Yerevan. “So I think we’ll hear about it soon.”

Jean-François Charpentier explained that President Francois Hollande is behind the bill drafted by French government officials and legal experts. He emphasized that the bill would criminalize the denial of the Armenian Genocide not only, but also other genocides officially recognized by France.

The French Parliament had passed a law against denial of the Armenian Genocide in December 2011 and January 2012, under Nicolas Sarkozy. This law, hailed by Armenia but condemned by Turkey, had been declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court and therefore annulled.

Hollande has promised to make a law against genocide denial during his campaign in 2012. He assured the leaders of the Armenian community of France a corresponding new bill should be drafted with greater legal certainty, so it meets the french constitutional Council.

French & Terrorism ‘We are at war’ – jihadism and the rule of law in France

June 19, 2016 By administrator

French police were shocked at the deaths of their colleagues

Jihadis are pushing France to its limits. Politicians are calling for a further tightening of terrorism laws and reasonable answers to the challenge are slow in coming.

“We are at war.” Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy did not mince words in describing the challenge that jihadism poses to France in a recent interview with the French newspaper “Le Figaro.”

“We are in a foreign war against ‘Islamic State’ (IS) and al Qaeda and a domestic war against those young countrymen who have dedicated themselves to radical Islam,” Sarkozy said.

In light of this war, he has set out four steps France needed to take: First, Muslim prisoners should be held in solitary confinement to hinder the radicalization of other prisoners; second, prisoners’ cells must be acoustically monitored, and prison guards be put under the control of the Interior Ministry rather than the Justice Department; third, foreigners and French citizens with dual citizenship who set upon jihadi acts must be expelled from the country, and for security reasons prison terms for jihadis must be extended; and fourth, de-radicalization centers must be established.

‘There is no miracle cure’

Sarkozy’s proposals may be partially inspired by France’s slowly approaching presidential elections, but they also highlight the difficult situation that President Francois Hollande’s administration finds itself in. It has expanded the country’s legal framework for the fight against terrorism and declared a state of emergency after last November’s attacks in Paris. Clearly, it seems, it has done both with limited success and is wondering what to do now.

The constitutional democracy is facing incredible challenges. In a recent editorial, the French daily newspaper “Le Monde” wrote that there was little more that the government could do. “We have to realize, as difficult as that may be, that there is no miracle cure,” the paper opined. This was made painfully clear by the attacks at the Bataclan concert hall and even more so in this week’s killing of a police couple outside Paris. The only option, the paper continued, is consistent, methodical and patient work – and even the success of this approach will be dependent on fortunate circumstances.

However the proposals put forth by Sarkozy, “Le Monde” said, are unacceptable. The paper wrote that it is hardly possible to further expand the emergency laws without calling France’s constitutional democracy into question.

“How else could one justify the intention of preventatively incarcerating thousands of people because there are police records linking them to radical religious movements?” the paper asked.

Robespierre? Non, merci!

The question of how to appropriately deal with the terror threat was also the subject of debate in the National Assembly. At times the discussion fell along party lines determined by the upcoming election, but at others it transcended those lines.

Patrick Devedjian, a member of Sarkozy’s Republican party, said the country must not follow the example of Robespierre, adding that France must never again posit itself as the guardian of the peoples’ conscience. Never again, Devedjian said, should the country make people choose between changing their convictions or facing the harshest punishments of the state. This was the political program that Maximilien Robespierre pursued in the confusing aftermath of the French Revolution, a program that cost thousands of citizens their lives. Devedjian rejected his party boss’ proposals, saying citizens must be sentenced by regular courts. Only then could the state deprive them of their freedom.

Yet, the question of how to confront the seemingly ubiquitous threat of jihadism remains. That the question must be posed at all gives evidence of the – relative – success of jihadism.

The list of potential targets is growing, security expert Eric Delbecque wrote in “Le Monde.” Terrorists, he said, do not adhere to hierarchically organized orders but are intentionally acting in a decentralized manner. The reason is obvious: “It is about shattering our faith in finding a solution, to rob us of our cool headedness. Fear leads to all possible forms of extremism.”

The goal of the state must be to resist extreme reactions. Not only because a country of laws owes that much to itself and its citizens, but also because such a deviation from accepted norms would only serve to drive more Muslims into the hands of “IS.”

A fight against jihad, not Islam

It is no coincidence that the fight against “IS” is a fight against basic, even archaic human emotions. If those under attack follow their impulses, Dutch migration researcher Paul Scheffer warned, violence will only spiral.

“It is important that Muslims can trust in the liberal state of law and feel protected by it in order to make sure that the fight against Islamic terror does not lead to a confrontation with Islam on the whole,” he said.

Terror experts and politicians in France do not rule out the possibility of further attacks. These cannot be absolutely avoided within the means available to a constitutional democracy. But such attacks cannot be absolutely avoided by any other means either.

Only the steadfastness of a state under the rule of law, one that holds fast to its principles, Scheffer wrote, can assure itself of victory in the long run.

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