France, the savior of Islam

France, the savior of Islam
The capture of Algiers in 1830 was hailed by the Pope as a victory for Catholicism. It will be remembered that the day after the victory, General de Bourmont had a cross planted over the town. But this victory did not live up to the expectations it had raised. Firstly because the government of Charles X was replaced by Louis-Phillipe. And that it took long negotiations between France and the Holy See for Gregory XVI to relieve the ancient episcopal see of Algiers.
The first bishop of Algiers was Mgr Dupuch (1838-1845) who had to fight – and in the strongest sense of the word – against a French government which, with the help of Freemasonry and the July government, had a very clear line of conduct: Islam for the natives, the Gospel – possibly – for the colonists, and basta…
The texts are there to say it: “The clergy is forbidden to bring a Muslim to convert, refusing to let a priest who speaks the language of the natives enter Algerian territory; setting up a sentry at the door of Algiers cathedral to forbid Muslims to attend religious ceremonies; obligation to write the word “Muslim” on identity cards (francais musulman). “
Bishop Pavy succeeded Bishop Dupuch. He will not be better off. After Louis-Phillipe, the Second Republic. After the Second Republic, the Empire. But the same policy: a fierce ban on the evangelisation of the indigenous populations. Worse: The Second Republic endeavoured to impose Islam in regions that had remained resistant to it.
Napoleon III wanted there to be only Arabs in Algeria. The Second Republic wanted Islam for the natives. Instructions were given to force the Berbers to speak Arabic and to espouse an oriental Islam which was practically foreign to them.