More on the Lessons in France

Molly Moore in the Washington Post confirms what I said in my rant late yesterday, the riots in Franch are not part of an Islamic jihad but are all about economics and recognition.
Rage of French Youth Is a Fight for Recognition

While French politicians say the violence now circling and even entering the capital of France and spreading to towns across the country is the work of organized criminal gangs, the residents of Le Blanc-Mesnil know better. Many of the rioters grew up playing soccer on Rezzoug's field. They are the children of baggage handlers at nearby Charles de Gaulle International Airport and cleaners at the local schools.

"It's not a political revolution or a Muslim revolution," said Rezzoug. "There's a lot of rage. Through this burning, they're saying, 'I exist, I'm here.' "

Such a dramatic demand for recognition underscores the chasm between the fastest growing segment of France's population and the staid political hierarchy that has been inept at responding to societal shifts. The youths rampaging through France's poorest neighborhoods are the French-born children of African and Arab immigrants, the most neglected of the country's citizens. A large percentage are members of the Muslim community that accounts for about 10 percent of France's 60 million people.

This is not about religion but about culture, economics and prejudice not unlike the racial riots in the US in the 70's.

"This has nothing to do with religion," he said. "But non-Muslims are afraid of people like me with a beard. I look suspicious to them. Discrimination is all around us. We live it every day. It's become a habit. It's in the air."

He continued: "I grew up in France, yet I speak of God and religion. I have a double culture. I belong to both. We should stop the labeling."

Rezzoug, the caretaker, said he has seen local youths struggle with deep personal conflicts caused by their dual cultures. "They go to the mosque and pray," he said. "But this is France, so they also drink and party."

"They also are out to prove to their parents and brothers and uncles they can't take it any more," he said. "They're burning the places where they play, where they sit -- they're burning their own playpens."

[.....]

"We feel rejected, compared to the kids who live in better neighborhoods," said Nasim, a chunky 16-year-old with braces and acne. "Everything here is broken down and abandoned. There's no place for the little kids to go."

As on most Saturday afternoons, there was little for Nasim or his friends to do. They sauntered among the older youths who spent the late afternoon hanging out on street corners or the sidewalks in front of coffee shops.

This should sound familiar to anyone who is old enough to remember the racial tensions in the United States 30 - 40 years ago.

That's not to say it couldn't become a religious war. As I said yesterday;

The quickest way to make it a holy war is to start calling it one.

My fear is that is exactly what is going to happen. The fight for recognition in France is human nature but so is the temptation by others to find a simple explanation. The simple explanation de Jour is Islamic jihad. In addition the radical Christian right and the radical Muslims would like nothing better than to turn this into a jihad. They after all thrive on "holy wars".

Update
Joe Gandelman has a good rundown on the situation. The general consensus seem to be if radical Islamists are playing any role at all it is minor.