French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy: Qatari investments in French suburbs “nothing but a hoax or propaganda”

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Qatar invests billions of dollars a year in Europe. The emirate caused a stir and raised eyebrows when it announced that it was  allocating 150 million euros [$199 million] for “investments” in French suburbs inhabited by Muslims.

French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy said investments by this “emirate” are “a source of charity to whom it may concern, and a source of humiliation for the recipient country, which appears bankrupt to the point of beggary.” He said that the announced amount of investments in French suburbs is “nothing but a hoax or propaganda.”
Levy reiterates his idea, saying that the “non-costly” amount has helped Qatar, “whose commitment to democratic values is continuously questionable,” to “purchase a certificate in ethics.”

Furthermore, this French philosopher expresses astonishment over the political concept of these funds. To him, “this money is tainted with the color of a country that deprives its citizens of general freedoms, and treats immigrants (Indians, Pakistanis and Filipinos) as less than citizens, even less than humans or as slaves.”

Levy refers to “another problem,” which is “suspicion of political-religious preaching,” saying it is “impossible not to address [this aspect] as it involves a regime whose support for radical Islamist currents is no secret.”

Nasseri, who also heads the Association of Muslims in France, indirectly refuted what Levy said. He responded to the media campaign against the [Qatari] investments in the suburbs, saying that the media outlets that launched the campaign are “just like part of the political class, hostage to a vision filled with fanaticism against everything related to the Arab-Muslim world, and everything associated with Islam.”

Nasseri explains that “Qatar did not invest in the French suburbs on its own, but that these suburbs turned to it and requested support.” He says that all the Qataris did was “seize the opportunity and help a marginalized population in France, which comprise a set of resources and skills.”

As for concern that the Qatari money would go to extremist Islamic groups in the French suburbs, Nasseri says that it is a “fictional and unjustifiable excuse being used by the extreme right to scare the French from the Qatari presence in France.”

It is undeniable that Qatari investments in the French suburbs come amid general concern by the French over political Islam. This is especially true since “Qatar is a source of double fear for the French: fear of Islam on the one hand, and fear of losing economic sovereignty given the current crisis,” according to Bitar.

Also, Qatar is more criticized than others because “its investments are but a part of a greater project aimed at a strong economic and diplomatic rise,” says Bitar. (source)

So far, Qatar hasn’t spent a dollar on French suburbs. But the loss of face for France and its exposure as a desperate nation makes proud Frenchmen cringe.