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| Anelka behaving badly |
Racist chants, taunts, and gestures by white football fans aimed at black players are, rightly, condemned by all decent people. Still occasionally seen at football matches in Britain, such chants, taunts, and gestures are nowadays more widespread in the stands at matches on the Continent, especially in certain Central and Eastern European lands.
Yesterday a new racist gesture infected a football match in Britain. It was not given by a white neo-Nazi or half-drunk scumbag making "monkey" noises at black players.
It was, instead, made by a French player, Nicolas Anelka, who like Dieudonné, the notorious French antisemite who invented it, happens to be black. He apparently made it as a triumphalist gesture after scoring a goal for the English team for which he currently plays, West Bromwich Albion, against West Ham.
To quote from the
SkyNews report:
'Richard Ferrer, of the Jewish News, told Sky Sports News: "Prior to this blowing up this afternoon it wasn't something I was familiar with. But after doing a little bit of research, the 'quenelle' - as it is known in France - is a reverse Nazi salute. The arm is upright and saluted in the infamous Nazi gesture. But this, as you saw, is arm down, with the other arm touching the shoulder.
"This is either a lack of awareness on Anelka's part, or something more sinister...he must be aware of the 'quenelle's meaning and the baggage it carries. Surely he was making a statement? It's a major concern for the Football Association."
European Jewish Congress president Moshe Kantor said: "This salute is merely a lesser known Nazi salute and we expect the same kind of punishment to be handed down by the authorities as if Anelka had made the infamous outstretched arm salute."....'
Anelka, meanwhile, has tweeted:
"This gesture was just a special dedication to my comedian friend Dieudonné."
(Apparently Dieudonné himself has claimed that the quenelle is merely "an anti-establishment gesture.")
Whatever Anelka's motive for making it, and despite Dieudonné's claim, the "quenelle" salute (as we saw
here) is an acknowledged antisemitic gesture, and as such has no place in the sporting arena, or any other public venue. The French Minister for Sports has already denounced what Anelka did. The West Bromwich Albion coach has taken a more phlegmatic view. The Football Association has launched an investigation. Read and see more of Anelka's salute and reaction to it
here and
here
And this story suddenly got most interesting indeed! (hat tip: reader Ian) See
here!