Dieudonne strikes again

French comedian Dieudonné M'bala M'bala is facing prosecution for ‘justification of terrorism’ after making a video about the execution of Western journalists by Islamic State fighters.

The comic, who has several convictions for anti-Semitism, said beheading has always been a ‘gateway to civilisation’ and compares the IS killings to the guillotining of royalty and aristocrats during the French Revolution.

He also says that Western media made no fuss about the execution of the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein or Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi.

French prosecutors have reportedly begun an investigation with an eye to bring charges of justifying terrorism.

More than 100 other videos by Dieudonné have been removed from YouTube in the past few days.

The comedian is best known for popularising the ‘quenelle’ – a gesture many liken to the Nazi salute – which footballer Nicolas Anelka performed after scoring a goal for West Brom last year.

France’s laws against apologising for terrorism have perviously been used against cartoonist Denis Leroy, who published a drawing two days after September 11, 2001, showing the Twin Towers terrorist attacks and the caption: ‘We have all dreamt about it ... Hamas did it’. He was fined €1,500 – and an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights that this curbed his right to free expression was rejected.

Published: 6 Sep 2014