French Far-Right Presidential Candidate Zemmour Fined For Inciting Race Hate

Éric Zemmour, the far-right candidate advocating anti-Islam and anti-migrant agendas, was fined $11,400 for making derogatory racially charged comments on live television in September of 2020. In his third conviction for incitement of racial hate, he commented on unaccompanied young migrants saying, “They’ve got no reason for being here, they are thieves, they are killers, they are rapists, that’s all they do, they should be sent back.” According to Reuters, Zemmour stands by his comment and said he would appeal the ruling. In facing repercussions for making racial remarks, the 63-year-old author and pundit claimed, “We want the end of this system that tightens the noose around freedom of expression and democratic debate a bit more each day.” France’s upcoming presidential elections have been greatly influenced by the increase in populist sentiments and nationalist rhetoric.

At the courthouse, Arié Alimi, a lawyer for the French Human Rights League, commented that Zemmour’s political foundation was built on hatred and the stigmatizing of people “because of their origins, their religion or their race.” As protestors hit the streets of Paris and marched to denounce Zemmour’s campaign in early December, the presidential candidate showed no signs of slowing down his campaign against the Islamification of Europe, globalization, and NATO. In January, Zemmour’s Twitter account targeted a pro-migrant NGO that worked with public outreach and education in schools by saying, “Sorry, but school shouldn’t be used as a propaganda tool by the accomplices of migrant smugglers, mobsters, and the pro-immigration left!” Marc Knobel, a French Jewish historian, described Zemmour’s antics, “His words are extremely harsh towards minorities, immigrants, [and] refugees, because there is a political continuum.” The historian further claimed that “his ideology carries him and makes him a man of the far-right,” as well as the strongest potential rival of right-wing presidential candidate and former runner-up of the last election, Marine Le Pen.

While Zemmour is ranked fourth in the polls, his success has provided a platform for amplifying the discriminatory rhetoric of populist and nationalist groups. Regardless of which party wins, the political sphere has undoubtedly shifted to the right. On immigration in political debate, the question of situational insecurity compared to entrenched ideologies as the reasoning behind the anti-migrant sentiment is one found throughout Europe and the U.S. With the rise of the far-right and the growing publicity of figures like Zemmour and Trump on both sides of the Atlantic, there is an even greater need for tolerance and diversity.

Despite being the son of Algerian Jewish parents that migrated to France, one of Zemmour’s biggest talking points is the perceived threat of French communities being outnumbered by immigrants in line with the white supremacist theory called the “Great Replacement.” Often labeled as the “French Trump,” Zemmour shares the view of uniting the working class and the patriotic bourgeoisie to protect the traditional values of France. In his official announcement for his bid to run for president, he stated, “It is no longer the time to reform France, but to save it.” Where Zemmour takes a hardline against immigration with goals of net-zero arrivals, Le Pen and the National Rally exemplify average right-populist sentiments, predominantly addressing grievances over immigration and holding centrist views on other social topics. It should be noted that France’s Law on the Freedom of the Press of 1881 reasserts the principle of freedom of public expression, but the Pleven law of 1972 outlined restrictions to outlaw racist speech, and banned provocations of hatred, racial violence, and discrimination based on origin, ethnicity, nationality, race, or religion.

Above all, the Organization for World Peace advocates for the protection of human rights and the end of structural and cultural violence. The racially charged rhetoric used by political figures like Éric Zemmour perpetuates the cycle of violence against at-risk communities. By inciting violence and hate speech, the extreme far-right poses a threat to the well-being of migrants and refugees, as well as racial and ethnic minorities. The rise of xenophobia and nationalist ideologies reflects a need for access to educational resources and outreach in communities, support for human rights groups, and the protection of human rights in all involved communities. Inciting racial hate cannot be masked as freedom of expression: the right to express opinions without censorship cannot come at the expense of instigating violence and hate speech.

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