The enemy whose name we dare not speak

This is quite an amazing San Francisco Chronicle article about the riots in Paris. In the first 90% of the article's text, it manages to discuss the riots without once mentioning religion. Instead, the article focuses entirely on race. Without background information, it would be impossible to read this article and realize that the rioters are Muslims, and that the French government is desperately negotiating with religious leaders, none of whom appear to have called for their followers to stop the war games. Only in the last two paragraphs does the article's writer suddenly mention Islam, and then only to say that the French are afraid of it -- a fear that appears entirely racist and irrational in the context of an article that has never once explained that the riots are connected to insular Islamic populations within France. How in the world can we deal with a situation if we're scared to say what that situation is? How can we address, peaceably or not, an enemy we're afraid to identify? And does the press seriously believe that, by playing these little PC games, it can pacify a very angry sub-group. After all, vociferously opposing the Iraq war proved not to be any protection at all for France in her relationship with her Islamic communities. It's true that "if ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise," but I see no bliss flowing from our self-imposed ignorance.