More than 100 students, adults and children gathered for a round-table discussion to provide context about the current issues in France.
The Center for European Studies, the Center for Jewish Studies and the Center for Global Islamic Studies hosted “Muslims, Jews and the Media in France” on Tuesday night in Smathers Library to discuss not only the recent Charlie Hebdo magazine attacks but to also give in-depth perspectives about French society.
Looking at historical context, Gayle Zachmann, one of the formal speakers and an associate French professor at UF, said the recent acts in France do not surprise her.
“While most of the world stood stunned … these events are neither new nor entirely unexpected,” Zachmann said.
Abdoulaye Kane, another speaker and associate professor of anthropology at UF said the situation in France exposed friction between the Muslim minority and the majority of people in France, but there is more to the problem. He said the world thinks otherwise.
“It’s not all about violence,” Kane said. “There are a lot of positive things.”
One of the audience members, international studies and French junior Alejandro Vela, was in France one week before the shooting.
“It was interesting to hear their opinions and perspectives,” Vela, 20, said. “But I don’t think that it can bring closure to something like what happened.”
[A version of this story ran on page 8 on 1/28/2015 under the headline “UF organizations host French politics talk"]
