Messianic Jewish Leader Sees Islamic Anti-Western Hatred Behind French Riots
by Chad Groening
November 9, 2005
(AgapePress) - - A European-based Christian evangelist believes the ongoing violent uprising in France is the direct result of the growing Islamic presence on the continent and radical Islam's ever-increasing bitterness against Western society.Stephen Pacht has recently taken over as station chief for Jews for Jesus in London after occupying that same position in Paris. The Messianic Jewish evangelist says it is clear that the violence in France is coming largely from one group of individuals, and "there is a growing unrest because Islamic fundamentalism is taking root in areas where young Muslims live and don't have work and there's growing resentment of the West."
And these Muslim immigrants do not seem to care they are taking out their resentment against a nation that opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Pacht observes. "It's interesting that in France, which is one of the countries which did not support the Iraq war, it's made absolutely no difference to the growth of Islamic unrest," he notes. "Britain supported the war in Iraq, but we see in France it makes absolutely no difference."
Also, the Jews for Jesus spokesman points out, while there is still a great deal of anti-Semitism in France, the violence there has not specifically targeted Jews. "I don't think that the recent riots have been against Jewish sites. I think it's just been against the French state, against the establishment," he says.
Pacht believes French officials are reluctant to pinpoint the source of the unrest or the reasons why this segment of the Islamic immigrant population are expressing such violent hatred for the state. "I think the government are loath to actually say that this is because these young Muslims are seeking to create a state within the state," he says, "and it's far more politically correct to say this is because these young people don't have work and are disenfranchised."
However, Pacht feels it is becoming increasingly clear that a "growing Islamic movement" in Europe is targeting the West with increasing hatred and violence.
Chad Groening, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
