At the time of writing, Israeli missiles had already quintupled. In response to the barbaric acts of Hamas against 1,000 Israeli civilians and soldiers, the Hebrew State’s bombs caused more than 5,000 civilian victims, men, women and children dying under the rubble. At this point in the story, and as the conditions for the spillover of the conflict from Lebanon to Yemen to Iran come together, the demand for an immediate ceasefire, followed by the placing of Gaza under trusteeship by the ‘UN, seems in my humble opinion the only prudent and humane posture possible.
It is not surprising that, across the globe, passions are inflamed. That, among pro-Israelis, we hear calls to eradicate Hamas, whatever the cost in civilian victims. That, among the pro-Palestinians, we question the very existence of the State of Israel.
In the tumult, the useful idiots speak out. Such as the letter where 74 law students (in law!) from Toronto Metropolitan University affirm “to be in solidarity with Palestine and all forms of Palestinian resistance”, which, by definition, does not exclude infanticide techniques of Hamas. Two student associations at York University in Toronto issued a similar statement, as did several student groups at American universities.
Juvenile epistolary excess is certainly reprehensible, but these exaggerations tend to fade with age. More serious are the words and gestures of the multigenerational crowds in recent days. Also in Toronto, a pro-Palestinian demonstration of a thousand people was held last week in front of a building where a pro-Israeli assembly was taking place. In the video of the event, someone can clearly be heard shouting into the microphone: “What are we doing with the Jews? » And demonstrators respond: “We cut off their heads. ” Repeat.
In Australia, on the steps of the magnificent Sydney Opera House, as many demonstrators chanted a slogan which opted for another abject solution: “Gas the Jews. » Last Saturday, in Montreal, pro-Palestinian demonstrators threw spit, rocks and bricks in the direction of pro-Israeli demonstrators. Police made 15 arrests. In Amsterdam, all taboos having been broken, some demonstrators proudly brandished huge black flags of the Islamic State group.
The most surprising thing is not to see images of pacifists, lost in these demonstrations, fleeing at full speed when they hear calls for the eradication of a people and a religion. It is true that another religion is present, since among the slogans we also regularly hear “God is great”, the divinity in question always being Allah. In several European cities, and in Toronto, certain demonstrations transformed into collective Muslim prayers, in the street, in front of an Israeli diplomatic post. This is the political use of prayer.
I am aware that despicable anti-Muslim acts have been committed, here as elsewhere. But we do not see crowds in our cities demanding the annihilation of all Arabs or all Muslims.
Hamas’ call for a day of “global jihad” resulted in a handful of attacks in Europe. We can think that the number of jihadists ready to take action was small. But we must note that they have a greater favorable response than we could hope for. After one of them murdered a French teacher in Arras, a minute of silence was organized in schools across France. The Ministry of Education noted 500 cases of disruption by students during meditation. Among them, 183 students were suspended for “threats against teachers” or “advocating terrorism”.
The day after the assassination of two Swedish tourists in Belgium by a jihadist, Muslim students from a nearby school asked their teacher to say a prayer… for the killer. The teacher from another Belgian school reports: “I was shocked to see that the students were exchanging photos of the people killed among themselves […] They were laughing. »
School must be the primary place of socialization, but Muslim students are in permanent contact with another universe, explains this teacher. “It is via TikTok and other sites that they create their Islam, their religion. They listen to preachers on the Internet. The mosque is on their phone! » Obviously, he adds, “some students are fanaticized by social networks”.
On French TV, the interview with a friend of the Arras killer lifted the veil on the type of discussion that takes place in these circles. “We had the same ideologies,” he said, “except for going and killing people, that never interested me. And then, this is not normal, except in a holy war. » Except in a holy war. Good to know.
I insist on the distinction between outrageous opinion, which can evolve, and religious conviction, which is by nature fixed once and for all – unless we leave it – because it is said to be divinely inspired.
The Romanian writer Emil Cioran summed it up half a century ago: “Fanaticism is the death of conversation. You don’t chat with a candidate for martyrdom. What do you say to someone who refuses to understand your reasons and who, as long as you do not bow to yours, would rather perish than give in? »
Jean-François Lisée led the PQ from 2016 to 2018. He has just published Through the mouth of my pencils published by Somme Tout/Le Devoir. [email protected].