Yes – I have visited Paris with my Chinese family members, my mixed ethnicity children, and their family and friends – but this does not necessarily mean that an intolerant attitude should be encountered due to me engaging “difference”. I did expect more from France simply on account of its Socialist Revolution and its great thinkers. Once, when crossing a road in a French suburb – a car stopped and about four young skin-heads got out pointing at me and my Chinese partner – shouting in French. They only left when other French drivers stopped and started shouting at them. I have a number of such stories (French students once blocked my exit from a left-bank cafe – but they were ordered by the owner to move out the way). Following the 1789 Revolution – the Catholic Church was abolished and all religion uprooted. Napoleon did allow a limited form of religion providing the Church remained subordinate to the State. And here we are. The “Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS)” has been accused of sexual abuse of children, false imprisonment, and trafficking,, etc. Whilst France “bans” Islamic dress – the French Establishment bends over backwards to accommodate a bizarre Hindu cult and its sexist attitudes.
SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 