Blog 1: Race Issues

Summary

French comedian Dieudonne M’bala M’bala has a history of being accused as a racist. During his shows, he openly makes anti-Jewish statements and Nazi like gestures. In 2010, in one of his shows he also admitted how he believed a man jailed for killing a Jewish man should be freed. In November 2013, Dieudonne had been judged by an appeal court for a video in which he is being accused of defaming “those belonging to a community or religion” and also for being considered an “apologist” for murder.

Because of these events and statements, Dieudonne has been fined 65,000 euros and sentenced several times for racial hatred, he has just recent been cleared by a Paris court. He has also had several of his shows banned by French authorities due to his anti-Semitic tendencies. Today, in lieu of his actions, anti-semitism campaigners have filed a legal complaint against Dieudonne.

Analysis

Although Dieudonne M’bala M’bala is just an individual with strong prejudices against Jews, he is an example of others throughout the world who are preventing world solidarity and antiracism. I think the action that the French and anti-semitism campaigners are taking in order to ban his shows and fine him are good methods to slow him down. These actions might not necessarily stop his beliefs, but they can stop the spread of his hatred and prevent him from inflicting these emotions on others.

Unfortunately for Dieudonne, his rights for freedom of speech are being limited because of these restrictions being held on him, but unbeknownst to him, whether or not his actions and statements are just him voicing his opinion, he has insulted many and these actions are globally unjust. They go against the bigger picture of having a unified world throughout all different cultures and religious beliefs. 

Dieudonné cleared of distributing antisemitic video (Article)