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To: Richnorth who wrote (85125)	5/4/2002 12:30:28 PM
From: Richnorth	Respond to of 116836

Damage done even if Le Pen loses election, say minorities One effect of his rise is that his supporters will no longer be afraid to discriminate openly against immigrants. PARIS - Even if extreme right challenger Jean-Marie Le Pen does not become French President, many immigrants and Frenchmen of foreign origin think his electoral progress has damaged cross-cultural relations. For one thing, they fear he has emboldened closet racists to reveal their true colours. Mr Frederic Vagenheim, 37, a black third-generation Frenchman, said: 'Le Pen gives legitimacy to those people who did not like foreigners but did not dare to say it before. It makes racism official.' Jewish chief accountant Maxime Moyal agreed, saying: 'Racists will have more strength and less fear to show it. They won't be afraid to openly discriminate, especially in the work place.' The Forum of Citizens of the Muslim Culture received over 200 distress calls on Apr 21 after Mr Le Pen came in second in the first round of the presidential poll. Said its president, Mr Rachid Nekkaz: 'Muslims don't know who's going to protect them against Le Pen's follies. Everybody is afraid of the temptation of an alliance with his National Front party.' Mr Moyal said many Jews were preparing to leave France. 'We do not feel at ease in a country where we feel disgusted,' he said. Others said they were ready to pack up and go if Mr Le Pen gets a significant level of support in tomorrow's poll. 'I do not want to have anything to do with Nazis and xenophobes who do not want Arabs, Jews, blacks or foreigners in the country,' said Mr Albert Wajnfeld, director-general of the Jo Goldenberg restaurant in the Jewish quarter of the Marais. The restaurant, blown up in a 1982 terrorist attack, received phone threats after Mr Le Pen's latest victory. Others have also been harassed. Sri Lankan Ganeshar said a French co-worker told him: 'When Le Pen comes to power, you can go straight home.' That kind of treatment intensifies the concern that the government could take stricter measures against foreigners and adopt tougher immigration policies to appease Mr Le Pen's supporters. Interracial relations had already been strained in the aftermath of Sept 11 and the Middle East conflict. France has suffered a spate of anti-Semitic attack in recent weeks. That, added to the rising crime which is often blamed on immigrant youth, increases tensions between communities. Although France is a multicultural society today, ethnic minorities have not been accepted by everyone. Even second or third-generation citizens are usually referred to as 'immigrants', a term for people from a non-white background. The minorities are disproportionately affected by poor housing and unemployment, and are hardly represented in national politics or the media. Said Mr Vagenheim: 'French TV is white, white, white. Real French society is not. We have couscous, Turkish food. Television and institutions do not reflect what French society is today.' Despite the fears, there is hope that the political shock would jolt the establishment into positive action. Mr Marc Paul of the ASLC association which helps Chinese immigrants integrate, said: 'It might make the political powers and the government think about improving the integration policy.' ================== How will Le Pen, if elected, affect the PoG in France? Quite significantly, IMHO. Sensible minorities will ensure they have highly portable "real" money with them or abroad in case they have to move in a trice.