Wednesday 23 March 2011

Arab democracy: Dieudonné goes to Tunisia and calls Zionism a cancer that pollutes the world

French comedian Dieudonné gave a performance in newly democratic Tunisia on 16 March. (See list of court convictions).  Dieudonné is an iconic figure in France.

The CRIF published an article by Jean Corcos "Dieudonné in Tunis : a new anti-Semitic delirium and disturbing developments in Tunisia".

His visit was widely covered and he was interviewed by newspapers and a TV channel, MosaïqueFM.net.  Jean Corcos saw the video and comments (excerpts):

"From the outset, the pseudo comic is on familiar ground harping on his all consuming obsession: "My show is critical of the Zionists." If he talks about his visits to Iran it is to say that the Iranian people "are courageous" and that "they always have the United States and Israel on their backs" ...  opponents killed by the regime in Tehran will think it's tasteless humor. Also note his crass ignorance, which makes him put the date of the Islamic revolution at 1975, or when he tells later that "Ben Ali has held for 30 years".  In fact he took power in 1987!

 Dieudonné immediately "appropriated" the Tunisian revolution by stating that it will be an example to the world. A world, obviously, that must be rid of "Zionism" and soon after with accents reminiscent of nazism he called his spooky ennemy a "cancer" that "pollutes the atmosphere of France and of the World".

"Zionism is money, money for the sake of money, it's Wall Street", he said.  Dieudonné also had a go at Dominique Strauss-Kahn [who is Jewish and expected to be the Socialist party candidate at the French presidential elections in 2012] is the real racist "who unlike Jean-Marie Le Pen [former leader of the far right party Front National] - cited by the journalists - "is the real racist." DSK was called the "candidate of Israel" and "the candidate of Wall Street" ... Can it be any clearer?

But the feeling of uneasiness is perhaps even stronger when one listens to the journalists.  [...] What's shocking is the fact that for the Tunisians who interviewed Dieudonné it is obvious that Israelis are racists of the worst kind. And that they are "a population that feels superior to all others, and who wants to dominate the world" ...

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