In an unprecedented act of defiance, twenty retired generals, as well as several serving soldiers of the French military have signed a letter in which they have implored of the impending failure to act against the ‘suburban hordes’ which is a direct reference to the predominantly immigrant population of the housing estates which surround French cities – will lead to deaths ‘in the thousands’ as reported by the Daily Mail.
This open letter signed by former and serving officers of the French Military has enraged French President Emmanuel Macron who has threatened to punish generals who in their opinion are warning that the country is heading for ‘civil war’ because of radical Islam.
The incendiary letter reads: ‘France is in danger. Several mortal perils threaten her. Even in retirement, we remain soldiers of France and cannot in the present circumstances remain indifferent to the fate of our beautiful country.’ The term suburban hordes was a clear indication of the fast-growing Muslim population in France who tend to live in ghettos where even the police will think twice before entering.
The letter was published on the 60th anniversary of Algerian independence which was once part of the French colony. Back in 1961, there was a failed coup d’etat by generals who had violently opposed France granting independence to its North African colony of Algeria.
French defence minister Florence Parly on Monday (26 April) called this letter to be of “unacceptable actions”, and said the members of the military had flouted a law requiring them to remain politically neutral and ‘There will be consequences, naturally,’ while she had instructed the army chief of staff to discipline them.
Florence said, ‘The irresponsible column published in Valeurs Actuelles is signed by retired soldiers, who no longer have any function in our armies and only represent themselves.”
The open letter, published in Valeurs Actuelles, a right-wing magazine that claims a military coup might be necessary to stop a ‘civil war’ in France. However, this open letter has now become a political issue as Marine Le Pen, President of the National Rally supported the letter which was signed by 80 officers, as well as the 20 generals. ‘I invite you to join us in taking part in the coming battle, which is the battle of France,’ she wrote in a response to the letter.
Le Pen is the leader of the far-right political party, the National Rally and her opponents on both the left and right described as a ‘call to sedition’. The lead signatory was Christian Piquemal, 80, who commanded the Foreign Legion. He lost all his privileges as a retired officer when he took part in an anti-Islam demonstration in 2016.
According to the retired officers, France was ‘disintegrating with the Islamists of the hordes of the banlieue [suburbs] who are detaching large parts of the nation and turning them into territory subject to dogmas contrary to our constitution’.
It must be noted that President Emmanuel Macron had taken strong measures to maintain the French national motto of values of Liberty, Fraternity, and equality and said in France blasphemy is legal and allowed the republication of Charlie Hebdo, the satirical weekly newspaper that ran cartoons of prophet Mohammad.
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