February 28, 2006--Let Them Eat . . . Pork Soup

Just yesterday, Lundi, I wrote a blog about how I love Paris, if not the French. So it was a great disappointment to me today, Mardi, to see jumping off page three of the International Herald Tribune a piece (linked below) about how right-wing nationalists in France are aggressively confronting their Islamic countrymen through, yes, food. How French.

Here’s what’s going on—As a backlash against the pressure to accept the fact that France is a multicultural society, in 2003 a group called Identity Bloc came into existence to feed the homeless. Sounds benign enough. But they insisted on including pork in all the soups they made and distributed so as to consciously and aggressively exclude Muslims (and Jews?) from their ministrations. And they have been doing this quite vocally, serving what they call Identity Soup while chanting through megaphones, “We are all pig eaters! We are all pig eaters!”

Charmant.

This racist fare is made from smoked bacon, pigs’ ears, pigs’ feet, and pigs’ tails. The Bloc folks are overt about saying they are not just making soup but also a political statement—“Help our own before others.”

Pardon moi if I take a pass.

French authorities, ever tolerant, took little notice of this growing movement, that is until last November when the country was swept by riots protesting the treatment of Islamic citroyans. So they have been moving in on the Bloc when they demonstrate while ladling soup.

But with still a sparkle in my eye from my recent visit to Paris, I couldn’t help but notice that along with the Pork Soup the Identity Bloc serves a complete French Dinner that includes cheese and dessert and often even a glass or two of red wine. But there is a catch—to get the dessert you have to eat the soup.

I’m home.