French-Algerian woman author, Djemila Benhabib, on Quebec TV show discusses book, ‘My Life Against Koran’

This is exceptional in so many ways. The fact that a Quebec TV show was so sympathetic with her for openers, and how well spoken she is, but more importantly, how well treated she was with her message of truth but a politically incorrect one.

Full transcript below the fold

[00:00:00.00]
[00:00:00.00] Hello Jemilla, Welcome to ‘Everyone talks about it. You are the author of….
[00:00:04.04] a successful book called, ‘My Life Against Koran’ that appeared in …
[00:00:08.07] 2009. A piece of art concerning the reasonable accommodation…
[00:00:12.10] you are here tonight concerning a new essay called, ‘The Soldiers…
[00:00:16.12] of Allah’ The assault on the West. 10 years after the…
[00:00:20.13] 911, you are saying that the West is moving towards losing it’s battle…
[00:00:24.15] against Islam that is itself going from victory to victory.
[00:00:28.17] Who are these soldiers of Allah that are assaulting the West and to what victory do you refer?
[00:00:32.19] So, the Soldiers of Allah are …
[00:00:36.21] people that want to change the configuration …
[00:00:40.24] of our social and political structure in the West.
[00:00:44.24] these are people that understand perfectly the rhetoric of the West.
[00:00:48.27] They understand our Human Rights. These are people the majority of them were born in the West.
[00:00:52.30] And that have put themselves in service of this ideology.
[00:00:56.34] Ideology of political Islam. So it is this battle that we are losing.
[00:01:00.35] We refuse to admit that there is a battle so we cannot win…
[00:01:04.36] when we are in denial of reality.
[00:01:08.37] Islam is not a monolithic block. According to you, there are two Islams. What are they?
[00:01:12.38] There is the one dating back to my grandmother, which means…
[00:01:16.40] of peace and tolerance. Of open mindedness…
[00:01:20.43] and there is a political Islam. The one I fight…
[00:01:24.44] is the political one. It wants to impose an ideology …
[00:01:28.45] of death an ideology of violence and ideology of discrimination…
[00:01:32.47] a barbaric ideology.
[00:01:36.49] [Who is the Muslim Brotherhood] They are a brotherhood …
[00:01:40.52] born in Egypt in 1928 and had …
[00:01:44.55] as mandated, to propagate political Islam…
[00:01:48.55] in South Asia principally. Egypt, Syria, …
[00:01:52.58] and the Magreb. In 1960 and …
[00:01:56.59] the one that inherited the brotherhood has installed himself …
[00:02:00.60] in the West in Switzerland and for him…
[00:02:04.62] the mandate was to propagate this ideology in the West.
[00:02:08.63] Mainly, slowly but surely, it is what he has done. He has succeeded…
[00:02:12.64] to create community centers up to ..
[00:02:16.67] North America finally.
[00:02:21.04] One of the founding fathers of the Muslim Brotherhood is the grandfather of Tareq Ramedan
[00:02:25.06] who you reproached to want to pass off as a reformist, all while saying …
[00:02:29.07] conservative statements. The popularity of Ramadan make you anxious…
[00:02:33.09] why? It is a man that defends a Koranic literalist…
[00:02:37.10] and he does not say…
[00:02:41.11] for example, abrogate amputation, stoning, polygamy are examples…
[00:02:45.12] the repudiation, the attitudes about homosexuality,
[00:02:49.14] So he says that he is a modern person.
[00:02:53.15] but as a parallel, as an example,
[00:02:57.16] for you, on stoning. So here is a dichotomy
[00:03:01.17] Here is the difference between what he is saying and what he is really.
[00:03:05.18] You believe that the islamization of Quebec society is in real danger…
[00:03:09.20] you put to light acquaintances between a certain left islamist, how..
[00:03:13.25] Does the Quebec left participate in the process of political Islam?
[00:03:17.26] The Quebec left unfortunately participates…
[00:03:21.27] at normalizing and depoliticizing certain problems. As an example…
[00:03:25.27] like the problem regarding the Islamic veil, the veil is a political symbol…
[00:03:29.30] and the left essentially (initials of something)
[00:03:33.30] are telling us that it is a piece of clothing like any other…
[00:03:37.34] but it is not, it is indignation, it is segregation aof women
[00:03:41.35] however in the Middle East, this piece of clothing…
[00:03:45.37] it is imposed on women. So we cannot consider it as a …
[00:03:49.39] simple garment. It is a symbol of an ideology. It is why…
[00:03:53.40] That’s why Khomeini has imposed it to the women of his country.
[00:03:57.43] I think it is an element that we have to keep in mind in all analysis.
[00:04:01.44] What problem does wearing or showing religious symbols in Quebec in public places cause?
[00:04:05.46] Well, we are defined by our religious identity
[00:04:09.48] We become religious subjects however we are, before all…
[00:04:13.50] human beings. Above our religious identity…
[00:04:17.51] and that is what is interesting. For us humans…
[00:04:21.52] this formidable interaction we can have, above…
[00:04:25.53] our ethnic and religious loyalties. To me, there is only one family that matters…
[00:04:29.54] it is the one of ideas, the one of values.
[00:04:33.55] You accuse the partisanship of the open ‘Laicite’ like Gerard Bouchard, Charles Taylor…
[00:04:37.56] Quebec solidaire, the federation of Quebec women, of playing the game of…
[00:04:41.57] integrity and to abandon the majority of Muslim women that they pretend to defend…
[00:04:45.59] to demand the adoption of a charter of ‘Laicite of Quebec’ so …
[00:04:49.60] it’s laicite in public and religion in private.
[00:04:53.62] Absolutely yes. I think that Quebec has lived a …
[00:04:57.63] extraordinary chapter of it’s history through …
[00:05:01.66] the quiet revolution and its a heritage…
[00:05:05.69] that I carry within me with great pride. And that I am …
[00:05:09.71] resolute to defend because I find…
[00:05:13.73] it has modernized Quebec and has given Quebec an absolutely extraordinary face.
[00:05:17.76] Richard Martineau is in perfect agreement with you….
[00:05:21.77] His colleague from the [newspaper] Patrick Lagace…
[00:05:25.77] is saying the exact opposite. I quote him: “I am sorry …
[00:05:29.79] I am a useful idiot to the ‘Joan of Arc’ Belle Habib …
[00:05:33.81] but I do not see ‘galloping Islamization’ here now”
[00:05:37.83] Other quote: ” Sometimes the book written by …
[00:05:41.85] Mrs. Belle Habib is read as a masterpiece of the hysteric
[00:05:45.87] of the ‘Red Menace’ of the 1950s recycled with the 21st century…
[00:05:49.91] How do you react to this?
[00:05:53.94] This makes me smile. Honestly, we expect from a writer …
[00:05:57.96] within a minimum of knowledge whatever the topic is,
[00:06:01.98] However I did not see any. We expect a minimum of knowledge and probity.
[00:06:06.00] We expect a solid argument. It took me 15 years to write …
[00:06:10.01] ‘My Life Against Koran’. It took me a lot of books to read.
[00:06:14.01] It took me a lot of conferences. I had to listen to. It took me a lot of meetings.
[00:06:18.02] It took me a lot of trips. I think there should be…
[00:06:22.04] a certain maturity, a certain lucidity when we…
[00:06:26.06] talk about themes that are as complex as these. It is very sad to see.
[00:06:30.07] …that it wasn’t seen in this review. So for me, it is an unfortunate…
[00:06:34.10] review. (Congratulations Ma’am)
[00:06:38.12]
[00:06:42.14] Do you have pressure, do you have people that don’t like you amongst those people?
[00:06:46.17] Well listen Danny. Let us not tell ourselves…
[00:06:50.20] some stories. I mean if there are so few people that come from this …
[00:06:54.23] culture that speak up, to put the finger on…
[00:06:58.23] certain anomalies it is because …
[00:07:02.27] it is for precise reasons. It is evident since 1989…
[00:07:06.32] since the condemnation to death of Salman Rushdie…
[00:07:10.33] All writers know the risks
[00:07:14.33] that they take. So I know, yes I know…
[00:07:18.35] the risks. But it does not mean I will be quiet.
[00:07:22.37] I want to share my experience. It is an experience…
[00:07:26.39] that is tragic but interesting and I especially do not want…
[00:07:31.76] that the mistakes that have been made back then, in Algeria,
[00:07:35.76] surly but also in Europe because i have lived in europe. happen in Quebec..
[00:07:39.77] lets not wait to be at the bottom of the cave to..
[00:07:43.78] say “well its true there is a bottom”. the court case of three..
[00:07:47.80] Montrealers of afghan origins to have killed 4 women of their families…
[00:07:51.81] in June 2009 last week in Kingston with..
[00:07:55.83] with the election of the Jury. It is premature to qualify these murderers as..
[00:07:59.85] as a honor killing the hypothesis is not gone. what is a…
[00:08:03.87] a honor crime? a honor crime is..
[00:08:07.89] committed by a family member with collusion..
[00:08:11.91] with other family members. it is premeditated on another family member..
[00:08:15.93] so we judge the behavior as deviant..
[00:08:19.93] that does not seem to conform to a certain norm..
[00:08:23.98] that is established by the community. is it always directed to a woman? no not always..
[00:08:27.99] we can always kill the woman and her boyfriend..
[00:08:32.00] also we can kill people..
[00:08:36.02] because they are homosexuals it has happened before…
[00:08:40.03] all people that do not show a certain conformity.
[00:08:44.05] based on a line of conduct.
[00:08:48.07] within a community. if you want the difference between a crime of passion and..
[00:08:52.11] and a crime of honour..
[00:08:56.13] in the Arab and muslim country is the fact that the community endorses it.
[00:09:00.15] the crime of honour. the community does not speak…
[00:09:04.18] so finally the torturer does not speak.
[00:09:08.21] he is never anxious about what he does. closes his eyes.
[00:09:12.25] out of fear or they are in agreement? both. yes.
[00:09:16.25] honour crime are there some in quebec?
[00:09:20.27] in Canada? there are some certainly and that is what should worry you.
[00:09:24.30] what I mean there are young girls, woman…
[00:09:28.32] in our society that live as if they were living..
[00:09:32.34] in a tribal society that is recluse..
[00:09:36.36] of Pakistan and Afghanistan and unfortunately..
[00:09:40.37] and I have not seen our state take seriously these honour crimes…
[00:09:44.40] There has been equally the case of the honour crime of the ‘Shafia’ family…
[00:09:48.44] also the case of the little (name of child) that has been …
[00:09:52.48] beaten by her father and that died …
[00:09:56.49] so I mean let’s not wait until there are more…
[00:10:00.51] Let’s react. Because murder is …
[00:10:04.51] the ultimate act. But before that, there is all this pain.
[00:10:08.54] That all these women and girls have to live. I mean a control…
[00:10:12.62] that is perpetual of their comings and goings, of their clothing, and of their sexuality…
[00:10:16.64] of their phone, of their loves, so it is…
[00:10:20.66] truly a lot of pain these girls live. And we have the responsibility…
[00:10:24.68] to protect them so lets protect them.
[00:10:28.71] Q: Have you ever lived this type of pain? A: No. Never.
[00:10:32.74] My mother is Greek and I was raised by a father…
[00:10:36.78] that is a feminist-Arab because it exists so today…
[00:10:40.78] I want to give homage to my father because, I say it often, I was not raised by…
[00:10:44.80] a Swedish father but by an Algerian father whom …
[00:10:48.80] was raised by traditional parents but that gave me everything…
[00:10:52.85] that taught me to stand up and that put in my mouth…
[00:10:56.88] the word ‘liberty’ and this word I conjugated daily.
[00:11:00.89] For me liberty is something that is absolutely sacred. It is…
[00:11:04.91] …a value to defend. Q: I see your ring, Have you won the Grey Cup?
[00:11:08.94] A: What is that?
[00:11:12.96] You will understand someday.
[00:11:17.00] Q: What has brought you to Quebec? A: Well listen, it was a country to discover…
[00:11:21.03] and I wanted to discover it. Q: And you stayed? A: Yes
[00:11:25.07] …and I stayed because it is a country absolutely…
[00:11:29.13] magnificent. And it is a country where I have found my inner peace.
[00:11:33.17] …and my serenity, my joie-de-vivre
[00:11:37.22] It’s a magnificent country so here..
[00:11:41.26] that gives the want to be discovered. I don’t stop discovering it.
[00:11:45.30] It’s immense, Quebec. Q: Have you gone back…
[00:11:49.39] home? A: Yes yes I have. Because I have launched my book, My life against the Koran…
[00:11:53.47] in Algeria. There was an editor crazy enough that agreed…
[00:11:57.49] to edit and…Q: is he still sufficiently alive?
[00:12:01.50] A: Yes! he is sufficiently crazy and alive to be able to edit this …
[00:12:05.55] ..to want to edit this book. Q: Were you well received there? A: Yes.
[00:12:09.60] I was very very well received because unfortunately we…
[00:12:13.65] do not speak about these Arab progresses, we speak of…
[00:12:17.70] …because there are some, some lovers…
[00:12:21.74] of Music, of theater, of free speech,
[00:12:25.80] of liberty, simply put. So me, it is those people…
[00:12:29.86] I love. And it is these people that welcome me in Algeria…
[00:12:33.91] very very warmly. And every time I go back to Algeria…
[00:12:37.98] it is a feast for me.
[00:12:42.02] Q:Thank you very much.