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| French comic: “Jews profited from slave trade”
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The controversial French comic, Dieudonne, who lost much of his public support after repeated anti-Semitic comments, has told Israeli daily Haaretz that he is not an anti-Semite and that he merely “criticises certain forms of fundamentalism”.
In an interview with Israeli journalist Roy Cohen published in the paper’s weekend supplement, Dieudonne also said Jews had played a “central role” in the 15th-century slave trade.
He said he only attacked “Jewish extremists”, “ultra-Zionist organisations which have great influence on French leaders” and “the hysterical pro-Israeli lobby that despises blacks and Arabs”.
“In my sketches I am also making fun of Blacks and the Arabs but for a strange reason, nobody is taking offence of this,” he added.
Left-wing Le Pen
| The truth on Dieudonne |
"The truth on Dieudonne", an investigative book on Dieudonne by journalist Anne-Sophie Mercier, describes the comic's way of spreading anti-Semitic rumours while pretending to be a victim and without ever being convicted.
Mercier writes that under the cover of anti-Zionist formulas, Dieudonne in fact pulls anti-Semitic strings, spreading the idea of a "Jewish conspiracy" while crudely falsifying history.
The book also discusses his links with Muslim fundamentalists.
"He is the ally of the fundamentalists," says Anne-Sophie Mercier. "Their common goal is to weaken the French Republic."
The controversial French comic last December lost the lawsuit he launched against the publisher of "The truth on Dieudonne". The book was authorised for publication by a Paris appeal court.
It overruled a previous decision that prohibited certain passages of the investigation.
| Excerpts from the interview were published in the French press where critics say that it has provided the comic with a new platform to express his controversial views.
The French comic of African origin who made his name with comic sketches in the 1990s, namely with Jewish comic Elie Semoun, claims he is seeking justice for the descendants of slavery in a country that conceals its role in the slave trade.
He is soon to stand trial for comments made in 2003 in which he declared that Jews were “a sect, a rip-off”.
He also repeatedly asserted that Jews spread the Aids virus in Africa. In December 2003 he appeared on French TV dressed as an Orthodox Jew and performed the Nazi salute while shouting “IsraHeil”.
In France he is now seen by many as the “left-wing Le Pen”, a reference to the leader right-wing “Front National” party.
Dieudonne, who has announced his candidacy for the 2007 French presidential election, has carved out a reputation of professional troublemaker.
French courts have until now repeatedly discharged him, considering he had the right to express himself freely.
Slave trade
In the Haaretz interview Dieudonne defended his belief that Jews played an important role in the 15th century slave trade. Cohen commented that the comic’s explanations were not very convincing.
“At that time wealth in general was based on slavery,” Dieudonne told Cohen. “It is clear to me that the Jews didn’t monopolise the trade, but they held a central part in it. Every person who got rich at the time exploited slavery in one way or another.
“History tells us that many Jews earned their fortune during that period,” said Dieudonne. “Do you think it’s logical that businessmen throughout the world got rich out of this and Jews had nothing to do with this?”
The Haaretz article also features comments by French journalist Anne-Sophie Mercier, who recently wrote a book about Dieudonne, and Clement Weil-Raynal and Jean-Yves Camus, experts on extremist movements.
The interview has sparked criticism in the French Jewish community. “An interview in Haaretz gives Dieudonne a legitimacy he lost,” said Jewish talk-show editor Guy Rozanowitcz. “It’s simply an article on a controversial issue which was requested by the comedian.”
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