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EXCLUSIVE: The top House Republican overseeing Europe policy is blaming the riots roiling French cities on mass migration, and warning the U.S. could soon follow suit.
Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital that he was not surprised by the violent demonstrations across France — and moreover, argued they were a long time coming.
“They’ve been allowing this to happen for years and years, so they are reaping what they sowed,” Self said. “We’re also trying to get a handle on our mass migration consequences, just like France should have done years ago. That’s why I say this is a lesson to America. We are watching the future of America in France and the U.K., frankly.”
Self is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe in the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He is also a co-founder alongside Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, of the Sharia-Free America Caucus.
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Democrats have criticized the group as Islamophobic, and it’s been condemned by groups like the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations.
But Self doubled down on his beliefs, suggesting France’s growing Muslim population is at least partially responsible for the riots.
“They’ve got, what, 7% now are Muslims in France? And, you know, when you reach that percentage — and very concentrated in some large cities — that gives you the tipping point that everybody talks about,” he argued.
Islam is the second-most popular religion in metropolitan France among people aged 18 to 59 after Catholicism, according to the country’s National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies.
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He said later: “This is what you get when you think that everyone is culturally and morally equivalent. They’re not. And at some point, you have got to make the decision: Are we going to defend a Christian heritage in France, or are we not?”
It comes after multiple days of violent protests and riots across France that have seen stores looted and centuries-old buildings burned and desecrated.
France’s secular centrist government has blamed far-left groups for exacerbating tension over high living costs and expensive education, among other issues.
Self argued France was in an open “civil war” and said its military should step in, but was pessimistic that it would.
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“There’s too much destruction now, so we’ll see if they’ve got the gumption to send in the military. But if they don’t, then they’re very close to losing their culture in the large cities,” he said.
Asked if the turmoil should force French President Emmanuel Macron to step down, Self said, “That’s up to Macron. I think it would probably be beneficial to France.”
But he maintained the chaos should not turn into a backlash against the U.S.-France relationship — in fact, Self said, the U.S. ought to help France with intelligence-gathering about the protests.
“I think we probably ought to offer them what help we could, facial identification, whatever,” Self said, clarifying that he did not mean sending Americans in person. “France is still a very important, very large ally and partner. So we need to do what we can, understanding that, you know, President Trump has tried to get them to step up and do more. But this is not the time to abandon France.”
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More than 500,000 people took to the streets in various cities and towns across France this weekend. French authorities said 1,800 people were arrested nationwide, with over 800 of those arrested in the capital city of Paris alone.
In addition to photos and videos of French heritage sites in flames, images showing some protesters carrying Algerian, Palestinian and Moroccan flags have led figures on the right to blame France’s immigration policies.
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The Louvre Museum in Paris announced Monday that it would be closed “for the time being” due to the protests.
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