Essayist and assistant principal in a college, Fatiha Boudjahlat is the author of several noted works. Latest work published:
Secularism, the future together
(Éditions Privat, 2021).
To discover
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Samara suffered a premeditated, organized lynching, once postponed. The events took place near the Arthur Rimbaud college in the Moussons district of Montpellier. Samara almost lost her life. The savagery of this attack is striking. Among the lynchers, a middle school student who, according to Samara's mother, harassed her. She was also sentenced to two days of exclusion last year for having launched - already on social networks - a call for rape against Samara. This sordid affair goes beyond the simple framework of an attack.
Thus, the young mother and the young grandmother (once again, no father) made thunderous spontaneous declarations, calling into question the school life staff and teachers of the college, but also the violence motivated by the assumed freedom of Samara, whose mother said she was called a whore and a “kouffar” (unbeliever, one of the worst insults) because she did not wear a veil, dressed in European style. She incriminated the neighborhood.
Also read “Samara: France harassed by ordinary violence”
On the harassment suffered by Samara: I call for caution. There is very rarely a victim and culprits. It's always an ambivalent relationship and no one can believe that staff would let this happen. Students said Samara liked to take photos without their permission. It is indeed a game that many students play, including in class. This does not excuse anything, least of all violence. The exclusion of the student who called for rape lasted only two days. This is little. But this is a Rep+ college and we know what that means in terms of a degraded school climate and daily violence. The scale of sanctions is therefore adapted.
This is an opportunity to say that it is madness to build REP or Rep+ colleges welcoming more than 800 students. It’s economical for the state. It's dehumanizing. It's incitement to crime. Furthermore, we should no longer build middle and high schools in these ethnically and culturally ghettoized neighborhoods. This is the double punishment of double house arrest. We can do everything to try to make the college fence watertight and airtight, it is the rule of the neighborhood which is imposed as soon as the gate is passed. We need to get these kids out of these neighborhoods. Keep them away as often as possible. The voluntarism of the mayor of Montpellier, exemplary in this area, will not be enough.
Was this savage attack the consequence of the Islamic radicalism of young people? But when excess becomes the norm, we can no longer speak of radicality.
Fatiha Boudjahlat
But what disappointed me the most without really surprising me was the about-face of Samara's mother. The day after these strong declarations against community violence, Samara's mother did penance on the TPMP set. She read a text on her phone, a text undoubtedly written by others. She refuses the recovery by the extreme right, she reports and displays the piety of her daughter, who does Ramadan and her 5 daily prayers. It gives pledges of loyalty. What happened in 24 hours? The neighborhood caught up with her. The Islamic patrol caught up with her. She must be able to continue living in this neighborhood. She dared to go in the direction of what we denounce: the communitarianism of secession from the Republic. Was this savage attack the consequence of the Islamic radicalism of young people? But when excess becomes the norm, we can no longer speak of radicality. We must give the ghettoized neighborhood guarantees of belonging and loyalty to the group. This is indicative of the terror and censorship that befall the population of these neighborhoods...
The rector of the Montpellier academy visited the site accompanied by the prefect. It's happy. Because it is not pedagogy that can respond to this outburst of violence. We need the authority of the State on its regal side. Minister Nicolas Belloubet dispatched the general inspectorate for a flash administrative investigation, adding that once the responsibilities had been established, his arm would not shake. It's the same kind of inspection that absolved the hierarchy after the brutal assassination of Samuel Paty. As a former teacher and as assistant principal, I know that the search for scapegoats is beginning. And because I am consistent, I cannot have supported the principal of the Maurice-Ravel high school and not supported the principal of the Arthur-Rimbaud college. Just as I support the principal of Collège Jean-Bertin in the suburbs of Auxerre, after the director of the Department of National Education ordered him to apologize to two veiled activists, whom the latter had asked to remove their veil since they were speaking in a forum organized by the college. Fortunately, the rector, Pierre N'Gahane, from the prefecture and very firm in the defense of republican values, disavowed the Dasen de l'Yonne and supported the fellow head of the establishment. Arms must not tremble in the face of agitation and Islamist influence. Once again, the FI distinguished itself by accusing the Icaunais Principal of racism and Islamophobia. The Montpellier FI highlighted the lack of resources. When others blame social networks alone. The denial continues. Because admitting helplessness is too difficult. Courage must flow from the top to the bottom. The ministry must not overwhelm its officials who are fighting in the neighborhood. After these three situations, self-censorship no longer concerns teachers but also management people.
Neighborhoods are under communitarian rule. This is our reality. And they give license to attack girls who stand out, who do not indulge in ostentatious and militant religiosity. The school does not protect. How can we enlighten young people who only know the law of the neighborhood and the mosque?