French quennelle ‘comedian’ is arrested
mainThe stage performer Dieudonné was arrested today for expressing solidarity with the Islamist murderer of Jews in a Paris kosher store. On Monday, Dieudonné wrote on his Facebook page, “Tonight, as far as I’m concerned, I feel like Charlie Coulibaly”.
More here. Dieudonné has succeeded in popularising the quenelle salute, a coded form of anti-semitism.
Ah yes – the ‘anti-semitic’ salute. Actually it has an entirely different meaning – I’m going to **** you up to here.
False. It is widely recognized as antisemitic. See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quenelle_(gesture)
Here in Germany, the terror attacks in Paris have led to even larger anti-Islamic rallies — 40,000 at the last one in Dresden (by the organizer’s estimate.) Ironically, when this sort of xenophobia and religious intolerance is strengthened, it can also lead to the persecution of Jewish people.
So much needs to be done to solve these problems. One might be to question the use of the term “Islamist.” Only the tiniest fraction of Muslims support terrorism, and terrorism is not advocated in the Koran, as Juan Cole outlines here:
http://www.juancole.com/2013/04/islamic-forbids-terrorism.html
Is it fair to use a term that associates Islam with extremism? Does the term Islamist actually empower terrorists?
Alas! The Wikipedia reference you linked to speaks about an “antisemitic in-ter-pre-ta-tion” and details in what circumstances that interpretation was made and by whom. Next you’ll find a racist slant to giving the finger, picking one’s nose, exploring one’s ear… as long as someone you don’t like does it. Next the hand shake?
Yeah, and we’ll just interpret Swastikas as an old symbol Native Americans put on their pottery…
Once again your reaction is epidermic and not reasoned because you simply cannot accept that the link you offered as proof can be returned against your argument. Have a nice life.
Notwithstanding that if indeed, unlike the “quennelle”, the Swastika symbolism is clearly inescapable, one wonders why your commentaries have remained so tame after seeing so many of them grace the streets of Kiev!
Your comment, “Only the tiniest fraction of Muslims support terrorism,” is utterly false. According to a thorough and extensive Pew study– albeit a few years old– support in several Middle East countries for terrorist acts ranges in the 30’s to 50’s percent, depending on demographics. Among Palestinians, it’s just as bad. According to the Palestinian-run research group, Jerusalem Media and Communications Center (2006), nearly half (48%) support suicide bombings against Israelis. Other surveys show it above 60% (Center for Opinion Polls and Survey Studies at An-Najah University)!
Terrorism is deeply ingrained in these cultures.
Actually, the Pew study cautions against premature conclusions based on its data. Among other factors, it depends on how terrorism is defined and who the targets are. Differing definitions create vastly differing results. See:
http://www.pewglobal.org/2006/05/23/where-terrorism-finds-support-in-the-muslim-world/
How’s that related to music?
Or as Bill Clinton put it in an interview yesterday: “Muslim leaders have to do more to combat the extremists. But I don’t think you can blame the religion. These people are politicians, guerrillas, stone-cold killers. They’re just throwing the religion out [there] to try to lure more and more converts in and legitimizing cold-blooded murder.”