Mother, baby attacked on Paris train after mistaken for Jews

[[MakkabI]]

VERSAILLES, France - A young woman and her baby were attacked in a suburban train near Paris on Saturday by unidentified men who drew swastikas on her stomach with a pen in what police said was an anti-Semitic assault.

The six attackers who were armed with knives clipped the 23-year-old woman's hair, and cut her t-shirt and pants before drawing three swastikas on her body.

The men of North African origin also overturned the pram with her baby of 13 months.

In the attack they robbed her backpack which contained her identity papers, a bank card and 200 euros ($250).

Police said the attackers erroneously assumed the woman was Jewish because she was living in Paris' posh 16th district.

"Only Jews live in the 16th district," one of the men was quoted as having said.

French President Jacques Chirac expressed his horror and condemned what he called "a shameful attack."

The perpetrators must be found, held accountable and condemned with the full severity of the law, a statement issued by his office said.

French Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin asked police to find the attackers within the shortest possible time, his ministry said in a statement.

The attack was "all the more serious because it was marked by racism and anti-Semitism," he said.

[Nizey]

I was reading this story on Google news and i weas just purely disgusted. Actually whether the lady was jewish or not, that does not change that this racist, barbaric, and sickening crime was done. This is very serious especially if these criminals claim to be going this in the name of the palestinians or muslims. This would just gives Islam a worse image even though Islam is a religion that forcefully condemns and prohibits racism and encourages and preaches universal unity. Well whoever these criminals were, they should be punished in the worst possible way. Disgusting, purely disgusting. :rant: :uh: :omg: >( :nono: :ohno: :down:

[ERIC]

I've read and heard the news today, cause I was really hurt by that horrible event. In the end they are not sure that this lady is telling the truth. Perhaps she has purely invented the facts. She's telling a lot of contradictions according to the police. Nothing on the stations videos, no witness, except one person who saw her getting on the train with already torn clothes. Really strange story... I hope we will know the complete truth soon

[everythingisone]

The news report I read stated there were witnesses on the train. Anybody know?

[ERIC]

More news perhaps tomorrow, there's a special phone number for witnesses, but nobody has called for the moment.

[Christopher1]

There are so many muslims in France (over 6 million!), and it is probebly the most anti-semitic European country! go figure!

[ERIC]

Nothing more to say about this story, because the lady has just confessed she had completely invented the facts. Shame on her

[zuhahmed]

it turned out that she way lying, check the story on the skybar news section

[david chanrion]

There are so many muslims in France (over 6 million!), and it is probebly the most anti-semitic European country! go figure!



Funny that you repeat this kinf of ideologic prejudices ..

First there are not 6 Millions Muslims in France. Nobody knows their exact number because there is no statistical data that take into account the religious profile in France. Some religious "Muslim" lobbys" have said that there are 5 Millions and this figure has been taken without checking by some media. Some new assessment by independant analysts give a number of 3.5 million.

But apart from the sheer size, there isn't one Muslim community in France,
firstly beacause most of them (a large majority at any case) are not religious and I would even say not "Muslim-minded" . It is not because you come from Tunisia or Albania that your life is determined as A Muslim. Most Muslims as you say are secular and do not share an identity with the "Muslims"

Second the nationality of origin is certainly more important that the religion to understand them and the fact is that they (people of Muslim origin) don't really mix with each other.

Third your assertion about antismetism does not show a clear understanding of the situation. A lot of French Jews live next to people of Aarb origin and there are not any problem. Tension has risen dramatically recently because some kinds of urban gangs (mostly arabs) have found a new way of shocking the society and express their violence and they have targeted Jewish signs and people. They certainly express some antismetic feelings and dees in a mix of jalousy and resentment (because French Jews are suppoded to have advantages comparing to them in the French Society) and expression of political stance on the Israeli cobnflict.

Most of the arabs I have come accross in France and talk with are neither antismetic and even have a sympathy for Jews at least an admiration and certainly donot share those kinds of antisemitic views you seem to imply.

As far as the French are concerned, France is (along with The USA) probably the country where people of Jewish origin have reached the most visible , durable and greatest influence on the society.
It is not the point here, but I could just repeat some facts that Jews here have been prime minister (Laurent Fabius, and a few others ... ) , president of the republic (Pierre mendes-France, NO US president have been Jewish as far as I know), prominent political figures in every political party, heads of countless elected bodies, the most beloved French Artist and personality according to plenty of Polls (Jean Jacqyues Goldmann) ...... that show that the well known Jewish culture/origine/ religion is certainly not a problem.

Despite the collaboration of the Vichy gouvernment and some civil servants during the World War two, the French Jewih community have been the least depleted in Europe (more than 3/4 of French Jews survived. France was the first European country to give Jews full citizenship, wellcomed more than 200 000 Jews that flew from North Africa and Egypt after tensions rose in the 50/60s... and could carry on like that .......

Of course, a special kind of ideological antisemitism has long existed in a very special French nationalism that now Jean Marie Lepen embodies, but even if it has not disapeared, it is narrow in its scale (because limited to a small group of its party) and have evolved in a go between an Israel friendly attitude (seen as a western ally againts Arabs) and a more traditional antisemistism.

SI O please, I know it is not always easy to grasp a complex situation but try to be fair instead of repeating ill informed comments.

[Matthieu]

And this new was a fake. But it's alway funny to see the reactions of people. After, I live in the most antisemitic country.