[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 18]
[House]
[Page 25021]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      IMMIGRANT RIOTING IN FRANCE

  (Mr. POE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, failure to integrate immigrants into a 
country's society is evident in the 11 days of rioting, looting, 
destruction, and lawlessness in France. With the 5 million Muslims in 
France, many of the youth feel disenfranchised and discriminated 
against by the French government. Some of these third-generation 
immigrants have turned to violence to get the attention of French 
authorities. Government buildings, private businesses, homes and over 
1,300 cars have been burned.
  It has been reported that some Muslim extremists are taking advantage 
of the riots and calling for jihad, or holy war. A French police 
official reportedly said that civil war is unfolding in France. France 
must find a better way to assimilate the Muslim population into its 
culture. USA Today states that French President Jacques Chirac must 
restore order to prevent a clash of civilizations that is one of the 
greatest threats of the 21st century.
  The lesson for us to learn is that we must encourage immigrants to 
assimilate into America, or we too could face difficulties in the 
future. Immigrants have the responsibility to become Americans, and 
America has the responsibility to provide immigrants access to America 
and teach them to be Americans. That's just the way it is.

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