Anelka Makes A Fool Of Himself Again!

[Feral Fox]

Anelka Faces FA Probe Over 'Sickening' Salute

The French striker is facing an investigation after his country's sports minister slammed his controversial goal celebration.

8:30pm UK, Saturday 28 December 2013

Anelka says the gesture was simply a "dedication to his comedian friend"

Dieudonne has been fined for hate speech

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Footballer Nicolas Anelka could face an FA investigation after he celebrated a goal with a controversial gesture linked to anti-Semitism in France.

After scoring the first of two goals for West Brom against West Ham, the former France international appeared to perform the "quenelle" salute made famous by French comedian Dieudonne.

France's Sports Minister Valerie Fourneyron condemned the striker over the straight-armed salute, which Jewish groups have called "a Nazi salute in reverse".

She wrote on her official Twitter account: "Anelka's gesture is a shocking provocation, sickening. There's no place for anti-Semitism and incitement to hatred on the football field."

The Football Association is aware of the criticism and is looking into the celebration.

Anelka, 34, used his Twitter account to defend the celebration, explaining that it was simply a tribute to his friend Dieudonne.

He wrote: "This gesture was just a special dedication to my comedian friend Dieudonne." 

The footballer's gesture came after France's Interior Ministry said it was looking at legal ways to ban performances by Dieudonne M'bala M'bala - who has been accused of insulting the memory of Holocaust victims and threatening public order.

France's Sports Minister branded Anelka's behaviour 'shocking' on Twitter

The stand-up comedian has been fined repeatedly for hate speech and ran in the 2009 European parliament elections at the head of an "Anti-Zionist List" made-up far-right activists.

French Interior Minister Manuel Valls said: "Dieudonne M'bala M'bala doesn't seem to recognise any limits any more.

"From one comment to the next, as he has shown in several television shows, he attacks the memory of Holocaust victims in an obvious and unbearable way."

Dieudonne has responded to the criticism from prominent Jewish figures by threatening to sue them for linking his gesture - a downward straight arm touched at the shoulder by the opposite hand - to the Hitler salute.

He named the gesture "la quenelle" - the word for an elongated creamed fish dumpling - and says it stands for his anti-Zionist and anti-establishment views, not anti-Semitism.

The gesture has gone viral on social media recently, with mostly young fans displaying it at parties and sports events. Some do it while in the audience at live television shows.

The straight-armed salute has become hugely controversial in France

Two soldiers were sanctioned by the army in September for making the gesture in uniform in front of a Paris synagogue.

Roger Cukierman, head of the CRIF umbrella group of Jewish organisations, complained about it to French President Francois Hollande last week.

He said: "It's the Nazi salute in reverse.

"Very clearly, Mr Dieudonne is developing a nearly professional anti-Semitism under the cover of telling jokes."

Kick It Out, the anti-discrimination campaigning group, said it was looking into the gesture from Anelka and would help the FA if its assistance is requested.

In a statement, Kick It Out said: "Kick It Out has been made aware of West Bromwich Albion striker Nicolas Anelka making an alleged gesture, known as the 'quenelle', which carries anti-Semitic connotations during today's  fixture against West Ham United at Upton Park.

"The campaign is in contact with partners in England and France regarding this matter and has offered its support to the Football Association in any forthcoming investigation."

 

[liampie]

hes not doing himself any favours really, a little daft the way the media go but fining wont make a difference.

[Feral Fox]

I agree, fining is a waste of time. He was past caring along time ago!

[Chris Website URL Visit Site 𝕏 fmcj10 Instagram fmcj10]

Anelka's career is a lot like the stunts and idiotic moments he tends to do. He can't keep himself out of negative news, it's a shame really because I hoped this would see a more mature player come to light considering his playing days are almost over. I also agree with Liam, fining won't make a difference. It's hardly going to impact him, he doesn't care if he ends up benched (so a fine is nothing).

Good old him...

[PTID1862]

I honestly don't see him as racist. Stupid, Most certainly.

 

What is it with some of these people? Surely the blame can no longer be put on the assumption that people are good at sport that failed academically, as it was in the past.

 

Would be interesting to get the opinion of our French correspondent on this one.

[Joe Jones]

"The Quenelle was invented by the French comedian Dieudonné. He found a sharp and succinct way of expressing the huge, complex and diverse nest of resentments he felt against the existing ‘powers that be’. He made a joke out of the memory of the Holocaust. He put together the Hebrew word, often used in French to refer to the Holocaust, Shoah, with Ananas, the French word for pineapple and he got ‘Shoananas’. Dance around, sing ‘Shoananas’ to a silly tune, have fun with Zyklon B and with yellow stars, that is all that you need to do.

 

Why is it that laughing at the idea of the Holocaust works so well as a symbolic of blasphemy against all that the powerful hold dear? The reason is that the notion of Jewish power resonates strongly, in ways of which we are not immediately conscious, and in ways which can be tremendously exciting and rewarding.

 

After decades of feeling that we are all guilty, somehow, of the Shoah – the Jews of France were rounded up mainly by French people – the freedom to disobey the powerful and to release our own pent up fears in satirical laughter is attractive.

 

So how does it work, the Quenelle? One way it works is that it has become cool for people to be photographed doing it in naughty places; like outside the school in Tolouse where three Jews were murdered; like on the railways tracks to Auschwitz; like at the Wailing Wall; like at the Holocaust memorial in Berlin.

 

There are two key things which link together contemporary forms of antisemitism. One is a focus on fighting for free speech against the Jewish (establishment, Zionist, American etc) impulse to dictate what is allowed to be said. The other is that antisemitism is not frankly admitted. The Quenelle openly refers to Nazism, but its link to Nazism and antisemitism is also vigorously denied."

 

http://www.leftfootforward.org/2014/01/how-does-the-quenelle-work/

[liampie]

i dont think its funny tho, pretty poor taste.

[Feral Fox]

Today Zoopla have decided to terminate their relationship with West Brom due to Aneklas actions. Bet he feels even more stupid now as his club have lost a sponsor (or stopped a solid sponsor from renewing)

[Chris Website URL Visit Site 𝕏 fmcj10 Instagram fmcj10]

Today Zoopla have decided to terminate their relationship with West Brom due to Aneklas actions. Bet he feels even more stupid now as his club have lost a sponsor (or stopped a solid sponsor from renewing)

That's harsh on West Brom, really going to punish them. I don't think it's right but the fans will be getting onto someone!

[super_ram]

Today Zoopla have decided to terminate their relationship with West Brom due to Aneklas actions. Bet he feels even more stupid now as his club have lost a sponsor (or stopped a solid sponsor from renewing)

 

That's harsh on West Brom, really going to punish them. I don't think it's right but the fans will be getting onto someone!

Or is this an excuse for a sponsor to end its association with a team flirting with relegation

[Feral Fox]

Or is this an excuse for a sponsor to end its association with a team flirting with relegation

I don't think so as it states their contract was up at the end of the season anyway.

 

The cynic in me suggests that they were going to end it this year, and have found an extra squeeze of the lemon before they terminate. Keeps their name in the headlights for a while longer and paints them in a 'better' light