© kavalenkava / Shutterstock.com
According to a spokesperson of the City Hall, the French capital "wants to focus on offering visitors and Parisians more attractive and innovative events that will enhance the Champs-Élysées in a cultural and aesthetic dimension in keeping with this exceptional site".
Since 2008 this market in Paris has been organised by Marcel Campion but due to a long-term dispute the contract was terminated this year.
According to Jean-François Martins, Deputy Mayor in charge of tourism at City Hall, the "market wasn't good enough for Paris."
But Mr. Champion denies that the market sells poor quality goods: "We have a six-year contract with the city which is being called into question after only two years".
Isn't it strange that a city that organises special Ramadan parties every year can't organise a relatively simple Christmas market? Or is there something else going on?
Should the words of cultural and aesthetic dimensions actually be interpreted as: the market has to be more modern, multi-cultural and cosmopolitan, codewords for less Christian?
In a city with almost daily Muslim street prayers and a yearly Ramadan party it wouldn't be surprising to anyone.
Comment: The implication of the article is that western liberal ideology is the motivating factor to attack Christian values and traditions while encouraging 'multiculturalism', which in this case favours Islam. While there is much to criticize about the contradictions of current western liberalism, the author might be reading too much into this issue. Notice that the contract was terminated "due to a long-term dispute". Thus, the cancellation of the Christmas market may be related to business practices or personal matters, not ideology. But without knowing what the dispute was about, it is impossible to say.