3 Things You Need to Know About Marine Le Pen

3 Things You Need to Know About Marine Le Pen
Home > World > France > 3 Things You Need to Know About Marine Le Pen
BY CODI ROBERTSON Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Far-right candidate for France’s presidency Marine LePen (Photo: Sylvain Lefevre/Getty Images
Le Pen promises a formidable fight against radical Islam in France, but some of her plans are highly controversial.
In order to combat Islamist terrorism, Le Pen plans to have mosques with extremist ties shut down, close France’s borders and have individuals who are on the French security services’ watch list for radicalization expelled from France with their French citizenship revoked.These policies have seemingly made her more popular following the recent ISIS shooting in Paris.
Le Pen plans to curb the threats of radical Islam in France by means of limiting practices of both Islam as a whole and non-Islamic religions — namely Judaism – by banning the wearing of all religious symbols in public.This would include everything from hijabs to yarmulkas (skullcaps worn by Jewish men, the pope, cardinals, etc.).
“I know we are asking some of our fellow citizens (for) some sacrifices,” said Jean Messiha, an adviser to Le Pen, speaking about France’s Jewish population. “But I am sure everybody will understand the utility of this sacrifice…to promote French unity and French peaceful relations in the public space.”
In addition to banning religious symbols in public, Le Pen also wants to ban all forms of ritual slaughter performed without stunning, which, again, would include not just halal (Islamic) slaughter, but also shehita, Jewish ritual slaughter.
She also plans to make it illegal for French nationals to also be citizens of other countries in order to stifle radical Islam. This ban would also preclude French citizens from being citizens of Israel.
Softening these “sacrifices,” she has promised to be French Jewry’s “shield” against radical Islam.
Le Pen’s party, the National Front, has a history of anti-Semitism.Even though Le Pen herself has worked to purge the party of its anti-Semitic and racist old guard – including kicking out her own father Jean-Marie Le Pen (founder of the party) for his anti-Semitism, racism and Holocaust denial – many are concerned.
A recent comment by Le Pen that France wasn’t responsible for helping Germany deport its Jews was an outrageous claim. (The northern part of France was occupied by the Germany military in 1940, but the southern part of France – known as Vichy France, surrendered and became a puppet state of Germany. Vichy France helped the Nazis deport 75,000 Jews to their deaths.)
Anti-Semitism has reared its ugly head again in France. Many Jews believe Le Pen is the only candidate capable of tackling France’s radical Islamist problem – the main source of France’s current wave of anti-Semitism –and may vote for her because of that.
One French Jew who asked to remain anonymous, put it succinctly, “What France needs is Marine Le Pen. But if she is elected, I’m leaving the country.”
Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar stated, “If Marine Le Pen is elected the presidency of France, the Jews must leave.”
MORE https://clarionproject.org/3-things-you-need-to-know-about-marine-le-pen/