CHARLOTTE, NC. Conspiracy theories abound in the cynical world we live in today. Thanks to social media, biased media, the 24/7 news cycle and instantaneous worldwide satellite communications among others, it’s easy to see why. For most people “ready, fire, aim” or “guilty until proven innocent” is as common these days as ants at a Fourth of July picnic. Perhaps the most recent example of speculative opinion surrounds the recent fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Notre Dame remains a powerful symbol of the Christian heritage of France. Although that country that has become increasingly secular, even as it deals with constant, daily threats from Islamic extremists, it’s little wonder that some observers remain unconvinced that arson or religious terrorism was not involved in this tragic fire.
The French government’s hasty conclusion regarding the Notre Dame Cathedral fire
French officials continue to insist the fire began as a result of a “mistake due to renovation.” But that response appears hastily adopted, given the magnitude of this fire. It’s also the standard response of European governments that remain weirdly enthusiastic about taking in hordes of unassimilable and potentially violent immigrants each year.
On one hand, the official government story about this fire seems logical in many ways. This despite the fact that the historic Church of St. Sulpice in Paris also burned as a result of arson just a few days earlier on St. Patrick’s Day.
But, as one writer noted, authorities in France ruled out arson at Notre Dame even before they launched an official inquiry. Why so fast?
Raising suspicions
An article by Norwegian historian Hanne Nabintu Herland appearing on WND (World Net Daily), an investigative news outlet, pointed out that in 2018 alone more than 1,000 European churches were vandalized, burned or victimized by theft. Of that number, police reports show that over 80 percent of the structures are, or were, Christian churches. Scandal or conspiracy theory? Something just doesn’t seem to add up here.
At the same time that Notre Dame went up in flames, Middle East specialist Raymond Ibrahim noted that one or more individuals vandalized the Saint-Denis basilica located just outside Paris. Meanwhile in Nimes, at Notre-Dame-des-Enfants, someone drew a cross on the church wall with human feces. The consecrated bread was subsequently thrown in the garbage.
Coincidence? Perhaps, but the incident appears extremely suspicious at the very least.
More problems with the state theory on the Notre Dame Cathedral fire
Regarding Notre Dame, further information raises even more suspiions. Although the state actually owns the Cathedral, the French government failed to insure Notre Dame. The historic building, in fact, was in a rundown condition due in large part to government procrastination that stalled renovation requests by the clergy in charge on several occasions. Specifically the wood roof where the fire allegedly started, was supposedly not part of the current renovations and there were no workers on the site.
Perhaps even more damning: French officials had already removed many of the most valuable artifacts before the conflagration began.
Suspicious or, again, coincidental?
Ibrahim states that “Two churches are now desecrated every day, yet French politicians remain locked behind a code of silence, including the clergy.”
Secularists and Islamic radicals remain under public suspicion
It is a well-known fact that France, like other Western European nations, is becoming increasingly secular. The same holds true in the United States, though to a slightly lesser degree. Meanwhile, militant Islam continues to grow. This is due in large part to Islamic immigrants’ raising much larger families than then those raised by the Europeans, combined with their more dedicated religious beliefs. Thus, the numbers of current and “new” Europeans are rapidly skewing in favor of Islam over Christianity.
Are various forces complicit in the drive to destroy European Christianity?
Ibrahim terms the church fires throughout France a “scandal of gigantic proportions.” But there’s a problem.
“(T)he media hardly mention the attacks on churches, as the truth about the slow killing of Christianity in France is silenced.”
Is it possible that the “fear factor” involving militant Islam is a key a reason for the silence of French authorities? Do they believe that if (with evidence) militant or radicalized Muslims started the Notre Dame fire, the backlash by French citizens against Muslims could be violent? If the destruction of this historic church was verifiably blamed on Islamists, would even ambivalent Frenchman be up in arms in a country already bending under the extremes of radical Islamic influence?
To be fair, Ibrahim says that since French media does not mention ethnic origins when writing about the perpetrators of vandalism, it is difficult to grasp the degree of involvement, if any, by either Muslims or their secular counterparts.
That said, Ibrahim also notes that smearing excrement on altars and other church property is hardly the standard methodology of disgruntled Europeans.
The massive number of anti-Christian attacks in Europe is alarming
Between 2015 and 2016 alone, Islamic attacks on Christians increased by 38 percent, from 273 to 376. Though not conclusive, these numbers offer yet another good indication as to the source of the problem.
It would be refreshing to live in a world where incidents such as the Notre Dame Cathedral fire did not always lead to the contemporary knee-jerk reactions of placing blame on one group or another. The sad truth however, is that the preponderance of evidence almost always traces back to the same source. It has been that way for 14-centuries.
“Victimization,” “justification” and “intolerance” are the three words that best describe Islamic motivations in our modern world. Until that changes, there will always be “conspiracy theories” surrounding the “religion of peace.” And a good number of them will actually pan out.
— Headline image: The 2019 fire engulfing the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris destroyed the roof and spire
but left the structure intact. Image via Wikipedia entry on Notre Dame, CC 4.0 license.
About the Author:
Bob Taylor is a veteran writer who has traveled throughout the world. Taylor was an award winning television producer/reporter/anchor before focusing on writing about international events, people and cultures around the globe.
Taylor is founder of The Magellan Travel Club (www.MagellanTravelClub.com)
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