Here is a conversation between a man and his dog.

I hope you enjoy it!

Weekend of Sat 9th & Sun 10th Oct 2010

Bronwen: So, what did you do at the weekend, Florian?

Florian: I went to Bordeaux to surf the mascaret

Bronwen: Sorry? You went to Bordeaux to do what?

Florian: To surf the MASCARET

Bronwen: What’s that?

Florian: It’s a special wave in the river which comes every month for 2 or 3 days, twice a day and you can surf on it for 4 or 5 minutes. This month it was on Saturday and Sunday.

Bronwen: Hang on – are you telling me that you went surfing in a river?

Florian: Yes, in the river Dordogne.

Bronwen: How is that possible?

Florian: It’s a tidal phenomenon which happens once a month. It happens when the water is shallow in the river combined with a high tide. I filmed it – I’ll send it to you, if you like.

And here is Florian’s film which he took while on a surfboard on the river travelling at about 30Km/hour.

Bronwen: That’s amazing, but the water looks really filthy!

Florian: The water is brown due to the earth from the river bed.

Bronwen: What happened at the end? Did you fall in?

Florian: Yes, you have to fall in the water to stop yourself, otherwise there will be a very long swim or walk back up the river to the car park.

Bronwen: So, are you going to do it again?

Florian: Yes, in fact I’ll probably go again next month.

Bronwen: Thank you, Florian, for telling us about your weekend.

An Interview with Sabrina Bakir – Author

Why did you write “French Kiss”?
Since 9/11, I’ve been thinking non-stop about the political situation between the Arab world and the West. I seemed to be much more troubled and affected by these events than other French people around me. I couldn’t bear the thought that Muslims had carried out the attacks on the World Trade Centre, and I had to say something about it. So I wondered how I could speak to the whole world.
Then, when my son was born, three years ago, that was the deciding moment. Shortly after his birth I was watching a 9/11 Memorial Service on TV, and I knew that I didn’t want my son to grow up in a world where Islamic fundamentalism reigned. I didn’t want him ever to be ashamed of being the son of a Muslim. So I decided to write a book.

Did people’s attitude to you change after the attacks on 9/11?
To me personally? No. I have a western name and people know that I’m not associated with any kind of violence. But young men with Arab names certainly suffered. It became particularly difficult for them to find jobs, for example.

Do you think that western governments are to blame for the rise in Islamic fundamentalism?
I don’t think we will ever know the truth behind the political events which lead to the attacks on 9/11. But one thing I am sure of, and that is the war with Iraq made the situation much, much worse. People talk about conspiracy theories, and for me, the biggest conspiracy was the excuse to attack Iraq by claiming that they had weapons of mass destruction. I was very proud that France didn’t get involved in that, but then I was ashamed of the anti-American sentiment that a lot of French people showed.

You are obviously a free-spirited, free thinking, liberated woman; is that compatible with being a Muslim?
I don’t see a problem with that. I have faith in God, but I am not a strict, practising Muslim. Islam is also a culture and a civilization as well as being a religion, but we have no governing church, so my faith is nobody’s business. It is between God and me. My grandmother was a very devout woman who taught me that the three great religions of the world, Christianity, Judaism and Islam all worshipped the same God. So I respect all these religions, and indeed, any other religious beliefs that people might have. My grandmother could also see that although I lived in a very modern and secular way, that I still had faith, that I was not a bad person even though I sometimes eat pork and drink a little wine. I think that is a lot less condemnable than becoming a suicide bomber and killing innocent people.

What sort of reaction have you had to the book so far?
A very good reaction! Europeans are interested in Islam because they hear about it every day in the news. They want to know about Islamic culture. I am happy to share and explain my culture and at the same time prove that there are peaceful Muslims.
I’ve also had a good reaction and a lot of interest from Muslim women, who feel that it is time to change the way we lead our lives, to become more modern without being seen as being ‘bad’ Muslims.
Most westernized Muslim men have also been very supportive, but as you know, this is a difficult and delicate subject to talk about, so there will always be some people who don’t agree at all with my philosophy and way of life. However, it is important not to be afraid of these people. If we are scared of them, and say nothing, then they have won.

How would you describe your style of writing?
It’s a mix between written and spoken language. I wanted to speak directly to the audience, like a stand-up comedian. So I ask the reader questions, such as: "What do you think?"; "Are you still there?" I also wanted to use humour as a way of touching people.

Are there any plans to have the book translated?
My deepest wish is to have it translated into English and also into Arabic, and for it to be published in the USA and throughout the Arab world. I want to use this book as a means of opening a dialogue and spreading my peaceful message, because I can’t be at peace with myself until there is peace between my two cultures.

What is the main message of the book?
That it is time now to live in peace. To the Muslim world I say: Let’s change. Don’t be afraid of modernity. I will not criticize our Holy Book in any way, I just say this: The Koran was written in the 7th Century but we are living in the 21st Century, so we need to think carefully how we apply its teachings to the modern world.
To the West I say: Don’t be scared of us. There are many, many Muslims who feel just the same as you do and we want peace as much as you do, too.

Do you have any plans to write another book?
Yes, I’ve just started a second book which talks about the dialogue that French Kiss has created. I want to witness the changes that are taking place and I want to give other Muslims who are campaigning for peace a voice.

Sabrina Bakir, thank you for talking to me about your autobiography:
“French Kiss – Comment je devins musulmane en freestyle”

To find out more about Sabrina's campaign to promote world peace visit:

http://frenchkiss.over-blog.org