Luc Besson Pens Emotional Letter To France’s Muslim Youth In Wake Of Paris Attacks | DeadlineLuc Besson Pens Emotional Letter To France’s Muslim Youth In Wake Of Paris Attacks | Deadline




  















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International
Luc Besson To France’s Muslim Youth: Charlie Attackers Are Not Your Brothers



by Nancy Tartaglione

January 12, 2015 12:35pm



















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While the third installment in his Taken franchise was taking over the box office this weekend, prolific writer, director, producer, and studio founder Luc Besson spent time penning an impassioned open letter (read it below) to and for France’s Muslim youth in the wake of the deadly events in Paris last week. In a missive published in Le Monde, Besson called on “the powerful, the big bosses and all leaders” to “help this youth that has been humiliated and which asks only to be part of society.” Addressing an anonymous “brother,” Besson says, “You also have a job to do. How can you change this society that’s being offered to you? By working, by studying, by taking up a pencil rather than a Kalishnikov. … It costs €250 to buy a Kalishnikov but not even €3 to buy a pen — and your response can have a thousand times more impact.” He further intones, “If those who are presumed guilty of this tragedy really are, know that these two blood-spilling brothers are not yours, and we all know it.”


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Besson has been recognized for his social engagement in the past; his Cité du Cinéma studios are built in a suburb of Paris that has a large immigrant population and suffers from high levels of unemployment. The letter has been warmly received in France. Below is the full text translated from French:
My brother, if you knew how badly I hurt for you today, you and your beautiful religion that has been so sullied, humilated, and singled out. Forgotten are your strength, your energy, your humor, your heart, your fraternity. It’s unfair and together we will repair this injustice. We are millions who love you and who are going to help you. Let’s start at the beginning. What is the society we’re offering you today?
It’s based on money, profit, segregation and racism. In some suburbs, unemployment for people under 25 is 50%. You are marginalized because of your color or your first name. You’re questioned 10 times a day, you’re crowded into apartment blocks and no one represents you. Who could live and thrive under such conditions?
Profit comes before all else. We cut and sell the apple tree’s branches and then are shocked there’s no fruit. The real problem is there, and that’s for all of us to resolve.
I call on the powerful, the big bosses and all leaders. Help this youth that has been humiliated and which asks only to be part of society. The economy is in the service of man and not the reverse. To do good is the greatest of profits. Dear powerful, do you have children? Do you love them? What do you want to leave them? Money? Why not a world that’s more fair? That would make your children the most proud of you.
We cannot build our happiness on the misfortune of others. It is neither Christian, nor Jewish, nor Muslim. It is just selfish and it leads our society and our planet straight into a wall. This is the work we have to do beginning today to honor our dead.
Terrorism will never win.
And you, my brother, you also have a job to do. How can you change this society that’s being offered to you? By working, by studying, by taking up a pencil rather than a kalishnikov. That’s what’s good about democracy, it offers you the noble tools to defend yourself. Take your destiny in hand, take the power. It costs 250 euros to buy a kalishnikov but not even three euros to buy a pen — and your response can have a thousand times more impact. Take the power, and play by the rules.
Take power democratically, helped by all your brothers. Terrorism will never win. History is there to prove it. And the beautiful image of the martyr walking in both directions. Today there are a thousand (assasinated Charlie Hebdo journalists) Cabus and Wolinskis who have just been born.
Take the power and don’t let anyone take power over you. If those who are presumed guilty of this tragedy really are, know that these two blood-spilling brothers are not yours, and we all know it.
It would at most be two weak-minded individuals, abandoned by society and then abused by a preacher who sold them eternity… Radical preachers who play on and make your misfortune their business have no good intentions. They use your religion only to their advantage. It is their business, their small business. Tomorrow, my brother, we will be stronger, more connected, closer. I promise you. But today, my brother, I cry with you.





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Fudge • 						on  Jan 12, 2015 12:35 pm


Perfect example of dhimmitude.
Stunning twaddle.  The terrorists are the victims, and their targets are the racist victimizers.  Now you know why this shit happens in France.


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Thomas • 						on  Jan 12, 2015 12:35 pm


no


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Anonymous • 						on  Jan 12, 2015 12:35 pm


Perfect example of totally missing the point.


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Anonymous • 						on  Jan 12, 2015 12:35 pm


thanks!


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Ari • 						on  Jan 12, 2015 12:35 pm


Nope, you are missing the point. he is saying that being a terrorist is nothing to aspire to.


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Anonymous • 						on  Jan 12, 2015 12:35 pm


Besson has a right to say this, publish it, and so on, but I don’t think this is very helpful to the situation.


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steve • 						on  Jan 12, 2015 12:35 pm


Please Besson stick to making movies…Oh wait you’re bad at that too!
“(..)this youth that has been humiliated and which asks only to be part of society.” 
Humilated? How? Is burning a 1,000 cars each year on New Year’s Eve “asking to be part of society”? Or is it rioting and looting every time their country of origin loses a football game?


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OK • 						on  Jan 12, 2015 12:35 pm


Uh… Dear “Fudge”, Besson is calling on French Muslim youth to be better than the terrorist punks.  It’s a strong, brilliant response.  But you know that.


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nerdrage • 						on  Jan 12, 2015 12:35 pm


France undermines its ability to say it’s an open society for all when it bans freedom of religious expression in public (veils, yarmulkes). Either you give everyone the freedom to offend, including the freedom to offend you by walking around wearing clothing from “alien” religions, or the freedom to publish insulting cartoons. 
They’re actually the same exact right – the right to demand that your fellow citizens have the maturity to realize when they walk out the door in the morning, they’re taking a chance of seeing something they don’t like. This is the price you pay for living in a free society. Once you tune your brain to the right channel, it’s not a very high price at all.
Here in San Francisco, I occasionally run across women wearing the full Islamic veil and men wearing yarmulkes. Also men dressed as Marilyn Monroe, or Bay to Breakers runners dressed in nothing much at all. Somehow, the sky does not fall. Why can’t all societies just do this? They could if they wanted to.


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JrzygirlLA • 						on  Jan 12, 2015 12:35 pm


I have a problem with full veils that has nothing to do with religious expression.  1) It’s a symbol of the patriarchal oppression of women and 2) If I can’t see you, I can’t connect with you as a person or even trust you.  How many terrorists have escaped notice by hiding under a burka?


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George • 						on  Jan 12, 2015 12:35 pm


Majority of Patriarchy now a days is subtle. As much as we want to Terrorist brought to justice I think the article above had some clear ideas of why terrorism is so prevalent. Governments and corporations are doing corrupt trade deals and unaccountable Military operations in the name of the people. Its time the people hold these politicians and corporate execs accountable for agendas of putting businesses interest before human and social interests.


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mdvr • 						on  Jan 12, 2015 12:35 pm


When I was growing up immigrants applying for citizenship to the USA had to have language proficiency, a job, a studied historical perspective of the USA, sign a loyalty oath to the country and pledged allegiance to the flag. What on earth are we and any European country thinking about by letting people in who have zero chance of adapting to a modern, Western society?


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Ted • 						on  Jan 12, 2015 12:35 pm


How does Besson explain all of the doctors, engineers and other middle-class jihadis in the last 15 years?  They are/were doing better than most, in societies that offered them every opportunity and they showed their gratitude by spreading as much destruction as possible.  Stop blaming the victims and trying to excuse religious extremists.  Lots of people are poor and downtrodden and they don’t murder and destroy. Lots of people are humiliated and oppressed and they don’t see it as justification for murder.
Poor killers, so upset by a cartoon they had no choice but to murder 12 people.  Pathetic.


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mohammed • 						on  Jan 12, 2015 12:35 pm


Im a Muslim, i cried 10 times reading this, Someone actually cares .


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John Browning • 						on  Jan 12, 2015 12:35 pm


Millions of us care!  But there is a problem with your religion when so many choose to be radical and deadly.  It is certainly a minority, but it is a disturbingly big minority. And the rest of the world does not see the shock and condemnation from the moderate Muslims (as a whole) at the actions of the radicals it would like to see.   I wish you well.


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John Browning • 						on  Jan 12, 2015 12:35 pm


I’m glad Mr. Besson chose to publish his pleas in written form rather than going into one of France’s many “no-go zones” personally to convey his message to the Muslim populace there, because I really enjoy his movies and hope to be able to see more of them in the future.


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Foxy Stoat • 						on  Jan 12, 2015 12:35 pm


“Take power democratically”, he says. And what if Far Right Qutbist Islamic fundamentalists grew in voice and gained political ascension, would he allow blasphemy laws to be passed in France? By all means improve the economic conditions of Muslim migrants, but there also needs to be a rear-guard action by very well integrated intellectual and secular Muslims able to reform and re-contextualise doctrine and help de-radicalise those that are on the precipice of going backwards into medieval superstition.


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