The new controversy over the rising threat of Islamism and the civilizational challenges it poses to French culture took has taken a new turn. Right-wing magazine Valeurs Actuelles published a letter that predicted that failure to confront immigrant-fueled cultural assault on French values will lead to a civil war, causing deaths in the thousands.
The letter, signed by influential people as well as serving military men, also said lax government measures will lead to "the intervention of our [military] comrades on active duty in a perilous mission of protection of our civilisational values".
Suburban Hordes
The letter said population groups it terms "suburban hordes" have changed the cultural landsapce of the country. By suburban hordes the signatories mean residents of mainly immigrant suburban areas and those that despise France despite living there.
Some of those who signed the letter included Jean-Pierre Fabre-Bernadac, who had once run security in the 1990s for the National Front leader and retired general Antoine Martinez, who founded "Volontaires pour la France".
Republican Values
Though under rising pressure to act against Islamist radicalization in France, Prime Minister Jean Castex denounced the letter saying it was against the Republican values of the country.
However, a survey conducted by LCI for Harris Interactive found that a vast majority of Frech people support the letter. It says that while 58 percent of the French public support the letter, 49 percent also said that they would back the military if it decides to "act on its own to restore order".
Alarmingly, while as many as 73 percent of the survey respondents said they feared France could disintegrate a whopping 86 percent said French law was no longer applicable in parts of the country, according to the Express UK.
Islamist Separatism
Meanwhile, the French defense ministry said the soldiers who signed the letter violated military rules by openly criticizing the government.
The rising number and increasing frequency of Islamist attacks in the country have put France on edge in the recent years. The murder of school teacher Samuel Paty exacerbated the crisis. In October, President Emmanuel Macron unveiled plans to confront 'Islamist separatism' in the secular nation. The most crucial steps France would take are curtailing the 'foreign influence' on Islam and enforcing more oversight on the operations and financing of mosques.
