Thanks Facebook & the world, you rehabilitated French flag

15 days ago, in Paris,130 people were shot by a criminal organization called DAESH.

I don't really know why, but the world reacted immediately and at scale.
France flag colours, blue white red, bleu blanc rouge were everywhere.
Facebook surfed on this trend and suggested a temporary French flag was proposed.
A lot of people used it. Outside and inside France.



Before the 13th, November, French people did not like much their flags, except in a sports context.
The French flag was associated to nationalism, fascism, our collaborationist past.
Before the 13th, putting a french flag layer on your Facebook profile was quite touchy, except if you support French sports teams.
Now... it's ok.

I wrote 2 years ago that Republic needs marketing. Extract:
"It's not natural to like France, to believe you're part of a nation, respect and love French flag, know the national anthem.
I saw a tombstone last day in Père Lachaise cemetery (famous in Patris). It was written on it: "Motherland" with the french flag just below. The tomb was 150 years old. It's impossible to see that today. Why? Because the only time when most people really feel French, it's when France has good results in sport.
The government must oblige young generations to follow civic education courses, maintain a light and pedagogical military service, put French flags everywhere in public administration, in the streets, write "Liberty Equality Fraternity" on Administration offices walls, public communications, send better singers to the Eurovision (joke), train any Administration officer like a representant of the state, modernize Administration."


I still believe it.
Facebook, the world did what the government did not and rehabilitated our flag.
DAECH attacked France to have an enormous press coverage, they got it. They attacked France to create divisions in the country, generate tensions between non-Muslims and the French Muslim community. Not sure they succeed.
French people now realize that they were part of a nation, a nation with people coming from different part of the world and following different religions.
They realized that their way of life, full of holiday, cafés, terrasses, music, was something extremists wanted to destroy.

DAECH successfully transform a country a bit ashamed of its flag into a symbol and into a nation.

Now, I think Imams of France must improve their marketing too. I'm sure they do not support DAECH crimes. When you Google "Islam en France", "Musulman en France" you find low-quality content. French mosque has 200 fans... seriously. 8% of the French population is Muslim and the Great Mosque of Paris has fewer fans than my local bakery. It's not normal.
Islam is the 2nd religion worldwide. It must improve its communication.
Without that, they'll more and more suffer from stigmatisation.
That's another story.