The devastating fire of iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has made headlines everywhere and created vast amount of far-right conspiracy theories. The wild conspiracy theories started to circulate immediately.
In order to get more information about the fire, Fox News reporter Shepard Smith interviewed controversial French pro-Israel right-wing politician, media critic, conspiracy theorist and Islamophobe Philippe Karsenty (1, 2). After Smith asked about the fire, Karsenty said that the fire was “like a French 9/11.” Karsenty continued by saying that French churches have been desecrated every week during the past year and said that “the story of the politically correct, the political correctness which will tell you it (i.e. fire of Notre Dame) is probably an accident.” Smith interrupted the interview. (3, 4, 5)
Prominent counter-jihadists were quick to spread claims about Muslim reactions and involvement in the fire. Pamela Geller quoted a source claiming that Notre Dame inferno was “intentionally set” and she wrote on her blog that the fire is “emblematic of the decline and demise of Christianity and Judeo-Christian culture in Europe.” (6, 7) Robert Spencer claimed that Muslims “laughed” and “celebrated” the fire of Notre Dame (8). Breitbart News and Frank Gaffney Jr. used the fire as an opportunity to take swipe at Democratic congresswoman Ilhan Omar. Gaffney said that the destruction of Notre Dame is “a particular assault on Christianity” and he found it strange that even before the fire was out, it was said that the fire wasn’t “a deliberate attack.” (9) Fake CNN Twitter account claimed that the fire was caused by terrorism (4).
Alice Weidel, leader of Germany’s far-right party Alternative for Germany AfD claimed that the fire is linked to rising “intolerance”against Christians in Europe (10). Just like Pamela Geller, British far-right figure Katie Hopkins told about a rumor that the fire was intentionally set. Hopkins also wrote on Twitter:
“Jewish and Christian Parisians have been warning a long time. They are being hunted out of their city by Islamists, fleeing in their thousands. They are hounded from their former home. ‘Paris is lost.'” (11)
American far-right media personality Glenn Beck suggested that Islamists may have started the fire (12). British far-right media personality Paul Joseph Watson Tweeted that one worker claimed that “the blaze was deliberately set.” White supremacist Richard Spencer hoped that the fire would “spur the white man into action.” Perhaps the most bizarre conspiracy theories have claimed that the fire was an attempt to “burn evidence” of “ritual sacrifice of children.” (5)
A partner organization of the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe has found an increase in attacks on churches in France, this year, but there is no indication that Notre Dame had been targeted (10). If you look at the most recent published hate crime statistics regarding France, the overall amount of hate crimes recorded by police seemed to be smaller in 2017 compared to year 2016. The most significant motive of hate crimes seemed to be racism and xenophobia, followed by bias against sexual orientation, antisemitism and bias against Muslims. The amount of reported attacks on Christian properties seemed to be smaller than in 2016. (13)
While the fire of Notre Dame has dominated the headlines in mainstream media, another fire has hardly been noticed. A small fire broke out in Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of the holiest sites in Islam, on the same evening. Luckily the fire brigade of the Islamic Waqf was able to put out the fire quickly. (14) The cause of the fire is thought to have been an accident. When the office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told about the fire in the mosque, it also added that “the Presidency confirmed its solidarity and sympathy with our friends in France” over the fire of Notre Dame (15).
References:
1) Information about Philippe Karsenty on Powerbase
http://powerbase.info/index.php/Philippe_Karsenty
2) “French ‘bulldog’ politician Karsenty doubles down on al-Dura video fight” Jewish Telegraphic Agency 12.12.2012
3) Fox News reporter Shepard Smith interviews Philippe Karsenty YouTube 15.4.2019
4) “The cause of the Notre Dame Cathedral fire remains unknown. Everything else is a rumor” USA Today 16.4.2019
5) “Within Minutes Of Notre Dame Cathedral Fire, Conspiracies Reigned” Huffington Post 15.4.2019
6) Pamela Geller on Twitter 15.4.2019
https://twitter.com/PamelaGeller/status/1117885949084520448
7) “Notre Dame ‘Emblematic’ Of Christianity’s Decline In Europe” Geller Report 16.4.2019
https://gellerreport.com/2019/04/notre-dame-emblematic-of-christianitys-decline-in-europe.html/
8) “‘Allah est grand’: Muslims laugh, celebrate as blaze destroys Notre Dame cathedral during Holy Week” Jihad Watch 15.4.2019
9) Interview of Frank J. Gaffney Jr. on Breitbart News Daily 17.4.2019
10) “Germany’s AfD claims Notre-Dame fire linked to anti-Christian attacks” The Local (Germany) 16.4.2019
https://www.thelocal.de/20190416/germanys-afd-links-the-fire
11) Katie Hopkins on Twitter
https://twitter.com/KTHopkins/status/1117861244168544256
12) Comment of Glenn Beck on indy100.com 16.4.2019
13) OSCE ODIHR Hate Crime Reporting
http://hatecrime.osce.org/france?year=2017
14) “Al Aqsa mosque catches fire same time as Notre Dame cathedral” Gulf News 16.4.2019
15) “Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque struck by fire on SAME night Notre Dame burns” The Express 17.4.2019
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