I am sorry but the gesture was not an anti-semitic one until quite recently. It has been used for ten years as an anti establishment gesture and it means 'up yours'. I can only assume that the pictures shown outside Auschwitz show people using it since it was proclaimed by the French goverment as anti-semetic. Both Dieudonne and those around him have also said their intent is anti-establishment from the interviews I have seen and given that it was seen this way until quite recently then why should we question Anelka when he has already said it was anti-establishment. There are so many people who have just jumped to a conclusion it is sad. Sorry i do not really get upset very often but it is really bad to see so many jumping on the band wagon.
like I'd give a **** about what a holocaust denier would think of me! here's some more of his views on Jewish people and the Holocaust... http://www2.macleans.ca/2014/01/10/comic-dieudonne-mbala-mbala-and-the-outlawed-quenelle/ man is a **** ...simple as
I never said Anelka or his friend were Nazis.I said that his friend had seven convictions for antisemitism and that Anelka would have know that before making the quenelle gesture in support of his friend
I think that is a stretch - he is banned, not sure that can be equated to "convicted". If holocaust denial is illegal in France, and he denies the holocaust what was his punishment? A fine? Jail time? Don't see any record of that. Look I'm not supporting holocaust denial, but this all seems really strange. Where I have been, black people supporting Nazis is just mental.
So Anelka is guilty then? Even though the gesture is anti establishment and he said it was intended that way and Dieudonne has said it is anti establishment and not racist in any way and it was seen everywhere as that until recently by a few (and only a few)? Dieudonne was not convicted for the quenelle either. I would hate to be in your court room! You are judging Anelka without any evidence at all.
All I am saying is that Anelka would have been aware of the furore making the quenelle would have caused. Whether you choose to admit it or not Dieudonne is a convicted anti-semite and holocaust denier
Not sure it can be proven what Anelka meant by making the gesture. But, he would or should've been aware of the controversy surrounding his friend. Anelka has certainly taken a decision to publicise the struggles of his friend & as a result, must be prepared to deal with what comes his way.
I will say that I find the thought of visiting the holocaust camps disturbing and it is something that I would never do. My father was in a Japanese prisoner of war camp 1941-45 and I am very happy that those are destroyed and I would never want to visit one. I don't deny that the holocaust happened any more than I deny that Japanese POW camps happened, but I believe they are best forgotten. I accept that others may feel that remembering them and keeping them around may stop it happening again, but I have strong doubts that the people who need reminding that genocide and torture are wrong, are going to be bothered either way. I am concerned that the reasons for keeping these reminders around are perhaps less noble than the proponents are suggesting, but as long as they are around, disrespecting them is repulsive.
Can you provide a link that shows where Dieudonne has actually been convicted of anti-Semitism in a court of law? I'm not saying one doesn't exist, just that I have been unable to find it and would be interested to see it. Anyway, far too many people are unable to distinguish the fundamental difference between anti-Zionism & anti-Semitism. Add them to those that will have ajudged Anelka guilty because he is a Muslim, then he is as good as guilty already.
There was similar fury over Di Canio making Nazi-inspired gestures, so it's only fair that there's a similar reaction to this.
Di Canio made a full on Nazi salute though, I think there's a difference. Anelka's gesture was a 'second hand' verion of one that his comedian friend did, which you could argue is nuanced by being sent up via the medium of comedy. I think he should be pulled up for doing it, given it's connotations. But I don't think it's anywhere as controversial as a Nazi salute.
Perhaps because their remarks weren't aired to millions, unlike Anelkas anti-semitic gesture? EDIT: Also worth remember Suarez was handed a hefty 8 game ban, slightly longer than the 5 game ban being suggested for Anelka...
Anelka is muslim isnt he? 100% knew what he was doing and 100% knew what the meaning was. He'll probably get hit with an Israeli air strike now.
