CHURCHES, schools and hundreds of cars set ablaze in a single day may seem like something out of Hollywood, but instead, this is the horrifying reality facing France. The riots began Oct. 27 when two youths were electrocuted to death when they allegedly hid in an electric power station in an attempt to avoid police. Though the French government may seek quick solutions, they will find that none exist and that without legislation targeting integration, minority exclusion will continue to plague the nation.
Though discrimination against minorities takes many forms, minorities in France face prejudice that often make it impossible to rise above poverty. Descendants of African and Arab immigrants in France have faced discrimination in all aspects of life for years. These youth not only have difficulties finding employment and housing, they have no one to rely upon, as the French governing class excludes these minorities, according to The Washington Post.
These tensions unraveled after the initial sparking incident, when police were quickly blamed and youth throughout the country began to riot. Since Oct. 27, the rioting has only escalated in intensity, as schools, churches, police stations and thousands of vehicles are being set on fire nightly. The entire nation is forced to shift its attention to seek a solution to reestablish some sort of order.
French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin outlined the plan to alleviate these problems, both in the short and long term. In the short term, mayors will be given more power to help restore order in their respective towns or cities. Other measures will help to crack down on violence, such as improved intelligence gathering. In the long term, a variety of social programs will be implemented to help minorities. Among the actions Villepin proposes include apprenticeships for youth 14-years or older wishing to leave school, scholarships and the creation of employment agencies to help minorities find jobs.
The effects of these measures will not be seen for years to come. Neither riots nor government officials hold the power to change the deep-rooted biases that already exist in French society overnight. As Stéphane Rozès, a political analyst, told Time, "The French just don't think the political class can attack [minority exclusion]. They see gestures, not problem solving. The distance between the government and the people just keeps growing." Persistent, concrete efforts that must last for years to come are necessary in order for any impacting changes to occur.
The reforms do not place enough emphasis on true integration of these minorities. While French employment agencies can attempt to identify potential jobs for minorities, minorities will remain jobless and without hope if employers continue to bypass them based on their race or faith. Through this reform, Villepin makes the assumption that employers will hire these minorities if they attempted to apply for these jobs. On the contrary, CNN reports an official French study found that youths with Arab-sounding names are turned away five times as often as youth with common French names. Without addressing potential discrimination by employers, employment agencies are powerless to improve conditions.
Without power to get jobs, the minorities have no incentive to seek education. As one youth told CNN, "There's no point in studying. I'm never going to get a job." If youth do not believe they have the opportunities for employment, scholarships or access to upper-level colleges, parts of the current proposal are meaningless gestures.
The reforms also do not address the lack of representation of Arab and African minorities. Out of five million people of Arab origin, not one holds a place on the legislating body in France. Not one minority of African descent holds a place in the Senate or as a mayor. Simply put, minorities of African and Arab descent are disempowered in France. Without a place in government, the concerns of these minorities will continue to be ignored -- until maybe they start burning something.
The proposed reforms are a step in the right direction for France, but they do not address the primary concern -- minority exclusion. Without any legislation geared towards integrating the African and Arab minorities into the heart of French society, no substantial progress can be made. Without impacting reforms, uprisings and riots will against spread flames across Paris. While reforms and legislature hold the potential to improve France now, the next time there may not be more than the ashes of a ruined nation left to improve.
Rajesh Jain's column appears Thursdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at rjain@cavalierdaily.com.
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