As a young Muslim in France I have only one choice in this election: the lesser evil | Kamelia Ouaissa

Macron has trampled on our rights – but I am so terrified of Le Pen’s far right that I feel compelled to vote for him

After sadness, disappointment and anger, it is fear and confusion that have now taken told. We all know the results of the first round of the French presidential election – it’s a choice between Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen. Though this choice is really hard to swallow, I have spent the past several days thinking about what to do next. I wonder if my vote could really tip the scales? Worse still, I find myself thinking about whether my role as a voter still has any real value in France. Should I vote for Macron to block the far right, or abstain, and potentially hand over my ballot paper to fascism?

We didn’t want to be faced with this dilemma again, five years after the last time. But I’ve come to the conclusion that there is no way, either through abstention or a blank vote, that I can allow the far right to gain power.

Kamelia Ouaissa is a university student who lives in Paris. This is an edited version of an article published on BondyBlog.fr, and was translated by

Harry Forster

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/dKwOt8J