Saturday, April 24, 2004

M. l'imam bousiller

We've all been somewhat preoccupied with little matters like work and ¡No Pasarán! hasn't been exactly up to the minute — so you may already be aware that Imam Abdelkader "wife-beater" Bouziane (there must be some mistake! In French, bousiller means "to bust up," or sometimes, "to bump off"), who had been expelled, is now to be permitted to return:
The court suspended the government expulsion order, reportedly expressing "serious doubt" about its legality.

...the government has vowed to appeal the decision with new information.¶ Speaking on a visit to Corsica, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said he would be sending the court "additional elements of information which justify the expulsion".¶ His government has 15 days to provide the court with the new information, before a fuller ruling is issued in a few weeks' time. ¶ In the Lyon court, the lawyer representing the interior ministry, Georges Holleaux, alleged that Mr Bouziane, 52, had called for jihad (holy war) in France.¶ However, this allegation was not made before Mr Bouziane was deported. Mr Bouziane's lawyer argues that his expulsion "violated several fundamental liberties". ¶ Mr Bouziane has lived in France for about 25 years and has left his family - reportedly including two wives and 16 children - behind. [emphasis added]
This is a revealing and embarrassing development. It seems that even French authorities are affected by the anxiety to have done with the problem of Islamism in France and it is driving them to hasty measures such as this. Now the Interior minister is unable to provide justifications; he is only able to provide promises to deliver them. Even the government's lawyer, no doubt well prepared for his appearance in court, can only argue facts that clearly didn't determine the decision to expel Bouziane in the first place. Next time, fellas, use your heads!

No comments: