France: Illegal Immigrant from Mali Freed After Stealing Joan of Arc’s Sword in Paris

Everything is contained in this story of an immigrant from Mali who had the idea—symbolic like no other—to steal Joan of Arc’s sword. The clash of history with the modern era, the clash of cultures and symbols, judicial indifference, the culture of excuse-making, the tragedy of France’s cultural heritage handed over to destruction—all that is tearing France apart is embodied in this story.

• Written by Mark Bondrié

Located in Place Saint-Augustin in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, this equestrian statue by Paul Dubois, created in the late 19th century, had until now mainly hosted commemorative events. However, on January 2, a recently arrived immigrant from Mali who had come to Europe and then to France climbed the statue of the saint, grabbed the sword, and left. He was later arrested by the police, detained, and put on trial.

According to our colleague Amory Boucaud from Valeurs actuelles, the undocumented immigrant walked out of court on April 2 free as a bird, with only a six-month suspended sentence. France is a good mother.

“A Tourist Initiative!”

So here we have an illegal immigrant who just arrived in our country, whose sense of impunity is such that attacking a statue that has stood in the capital for decades is not a taboo in the slightest. Our immigrant would have been mistaken to miss this opportunity, since the statue’s owner, the City of Paris, did not deem it appropriate to file a lawsuit. According to VA, the thief’s lawyer simply invoked a “tourist act” (sic!), peaceful and well-intentioned, on behalf of his client and cited “Christian forgiveness” (re-sic) for the court to impose only “six months suspended prison sentence.” France does not place much importance on its statues… It is a different story with a hostile poster at city hall. The organization Transparence citoyenne (Citizen Transparency), which, in order to “fight corruption and waste of public funds”, had posted receipts of expenses by the socialist mayor on the walls of Paris, was fined nearly €15,000 last October. The message: no leniency for those who care about the public good. Justice reserves that for those who destroy cultural heritage.

Obviously, the saint who bridged those who believe in Heaven with those who don’t represents, for the left-wing elected officials, a symbol inferior to the few European flags removed by mayors of the National Rally (RN) in Carcassonne and elsewhere. Not a single emotion was heard. The European flag, stripped of any history, obviously causes much greater attachment for them than Joan of Arc’s sword, which saved France from the threat of invasion and started the reconquest of territory from the English.

A Country That No Longer Defends Itself

Finally, the fact that a Malian, whom no one invited, takes away the sword—meaning the weapon and means of defense—from the young woman symbolizing France, is rich with allegories. The trial’s outcome tells the story of a betrayed country, without pride, that no longer defends itself. A country like the one Joan of Arc set out to rebuild… successfully. De Guesclin and others continued her great plan: to drive the English out of France.

In the story of Joan of Arc’s sword, history blends with myth. The sword called Fierbois “would have been the one of Charles Martel, deposited as a votive offering after the Battle of Poitiers in 732,” writes Philippe Contamine in his book Jeanne d’Arc, histoire et dictionnaire (Robert Laffont, Bouquins collection). The national heroine was so attached to it that she made three scabbards for the sword—from gold, red velvet, and leather. She used it to try to escape during her capture at Compiègne but assured during her trial that this sword had never killed anyone. But the sword is the armed hand, for the defense of the land.

From Bishop Cauchon to the immigrant from Mali, passing through some current political leaders, there is hence a continuity: the will to disarm Joan of Arc.

Source: BVoltaire.fr