AFP at the Guardian reports on the arrest of Dieudonné.
Notorious French comedian Dieudonné M’bala M’bala has been arrested for being an “apologist for terrorism” after suggesting on Facebook that he sympathised with one of the Paris gunmen, a judicial source has said.
Prosecutors had opened the case against him on Monday after he wrote “Tonight, as far as I’m concerned, I feel like Charlie Coulibaly” – mixing the slogan “Je suis Charlie”, used in tribute to the journalists killed at magazine Charlie Hebdo, with a reference to gunman Amédy Coulibaly. Dieudonné was arrested on Wednesday.
Coulibaly killed four people at a Jewish supermarket on Friday and a police officer the day before.
In the US that wouldn’t get him arrested, although it probably would get him investigated and spied on by “Homeland” security – and I’m Millian enough to think he shouldn’t be arrested for that. But I think he’s a colossal asshole for saying it. Coulibaly was a murdering piece of shit, who carefully singled out Jews for murder. Dieudonné is disgusting.
I’m amused by the juxtaposition of this post and the one that preceded it.
Yup.
And the one that follows, too, the one by Saba.
In what context did he say he sympathized with the murderer? Is he anti-Semitic?
This isn’t the same anti-semitic Dieudonne that Hj was talking about, is it. Because that would be ironic.
Oh yes, there’s only the one.
Hj to the courtesy phone…
French anti-Semitism has been amazingly resilient, even after the Holocaust, now with Islamic anti-Semitism added to the toxic mix, France is becoming increasingly dangerous for Jews.
“A poll was published not long ago in which seventy-four per cent of French Jews said that they have considered leaving the country.”
http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/shadow-anti-semitism-france
BBC World News reported a couple of days ago that record numbers of French Jews are moving to Israel.
Dieudonné M’bala M’bala used to do stand up comedy with French Jewish humorist Ely Seimoun a decade ago or so. They were acting the Black and the Jew and somehow exposing racism. They split up eventually and Dieudonné started a one man show carrier on the theme of being Black in France and in the world. He also became a vigorous advocate of the Palestinian cause, and that gave him some popularity in some left wing circles. At some point, he chose Le Pen to be godfather for his daughter, and supported him in an election. It was said to be provocation. He repeatedly reminded his audience that crimes against the black people were probably worse than those committed against Jews throughout history, and that the Shoah couldn’t be an excuse for Israel’s colonialism. At least, that is how some friends of mine talked of him to me, as I wasn’t really following his solo carrier (and neither Ely Seimoun’s, who is quite insufferable as an actor). They encouraged me to look at his online videos to make a mind of my own. I did. He hates Jews. I could agree with some of his analysis but he viscerally hates Jews. He wishes for nazis to come back so he could give them some famous Jewish journalists he hates, because they oppose his critics of Israel. This is of course made “in jest”, presented as humour, and could very well be, you have no way to know just by reading what I write. He could be “acting like racist”, for a show. I can’t really explain. He just seems to enjoy it too much, and he is not usually such a good actor. Making fun of murdered Jews on a day of national mourning and refuelling Muslim anti-Semitism by identifying himself with a Jew killer fits the character. I just wish he could be ignored. He shouldn’t normally be that important. He certainly doesn’t deserve such a publicity. But anyway the French government seems to have decided to take care of him the way they do best : killing him with taxes.
“To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize” — Voltaire.
French Prime Minister Manuel Vals — “There is a fundamental difference between the freedom to be impertinent and anti-Semitism, racism, glorification of terrorist acts, and Holocaust denial, all of which are crimes, that justice should punish with the most severity.”
Catholicism and Islam are not on his ‘do not criticize’ list. So there’s that.