Rasha B. Foda

I’m not Charlie . . . I’m Maurice Sinet, fired by Charlie for anti-semitism

sine-e1421253865284While the world was busy condemning the January 7th attack on the satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, a little known incident from the magazine’s past went largely unnoticed:

80-year-old Maurice Sinet, political cartoonist with Charlie Hebdo for 20 years, was fired in 2009 for his anti-Semitic cartoons mocking the relationship of former French President Sarkozy’s son with a wealthy Jewish woman.

Maurice Sinet, known to the world as Siné, faced charges of “inciting racial hatred” for a column he wrote in July 2009. “L’affaire Sine,” followed the engagement of Jean Sarkozy to Jessica Sebaoun-Darty, the Jewish heiress of a major consumer electronics company, the Darty Group. Commenting on rumours that Jean intended to convert from Catholicism to Judaism (Jessica’s religion) for social success, Siné quipped, “He’ll go a long way in life, that little lad.”

It didn’t take long for Claude Askolovitch, a high-profile political journalist, to accuse Siné of anti-Semitism. Charlie Hebdo‘s editor, Philippe Val, who re-published Jyllands-Posten’s controversial cartoons of the prophet Mohammed in the name of ‘freedom of press’ in 2006, agreed that the piece was offensive and asked Siné to apologize. Siné refused, saying, “I’d rather cut my balls off.” He was fired and taken to court by the Ligue Internationale Contre le Racisme et l’Antisémitisme (LICRA), an organization which works to promote racial tolerance. In December 2010, Siné won a €40,000 court judgment against his former publisher for wrongful termination.

Well, at least he got something for his trouble. But it’s not much for a man who dedicated 20 years of his life to a magazine that touts itself as the fearless bastion of free speech in France, only to be kicked to the curb for criticizing the ruling class.

But, that’s the last you’ll hear from me on “Je Suis Charlie,” which rather than echo the fight for free speech that it’s meant to be, has turned into an emblem of fascist propaganda and hypocrisy.

42 comments

  1. The hypocrisy is overwhelming. Since the recent attack, NO ONE has been “recapitulating” or “re-telling” the FULL story of this “marriage of reality with racial hypocrisy” which led to the REAL scandal at Charlie Hebdo. This is all so obvious. Once again, there is no PLACE to argue it: not because there is no VENUE …but because no one HEARS this TOTAL, …CONTRADICTION. It simply goes in one ear and out the other. No one is joking about Jewish society. Jewish society is no joke. It is an unending tragedy of violence and silence.

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  4. I loved the Je Suis Hypocrite. parade of world leaders in that staged photo op. I have rarely seen a more solemn array of the enemies of freedom of speech assembled in one place–Lizards ten deep. Call in the drones Obama! And save one for yourself too.

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    • I used to buy Charlie when Sine was still there, and I kept some of the articles that got him in trouble, none anti-semitic, but all against the violent politic of Israel. Today’s Charlie has absolutely nothing to do with the Charlie I used to buy when I was young.

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      • Every time a comment critical of Israel is made,no matter how mild or benign, the hysterical cry of antisemitism goes up.People of reason and sense need to stop listening to this fear mongering and look to the real crime of this Zionist rogue state.When the reform of a corrupt enterprise is impossible its demise is inevitable. Hopefully for the sake of humanity I hope that Israel will meet its end — soon.

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    • His cartoon was absolutely not antisemitic, it was anti-sarkozist. We’re really tired of hearing people calling to antisemitism every time they disagree with someone. I know it’s convenient, but remember what Shulamit Aloni said, that charges of antisemitism are “a trick we use” to suppress criticism of Israel, and that’s precisely why he was fired from Charlie Hebdo. I still have some of the old Charlie with Sine’s article, none of them antisemitic, but many criticizing the politic of Israel.

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  15. As usual it really is “the usual suspects”

    To paraphrase t.S. Eliot..

    The rats are underneath the piles,
    the “usual suspects” are underneath the lot.

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      • Well it the one who posts something that has to provide its source. So it is your job to provide the source and to prove that way that you did not invent it.

        You can use the website sinemensuel.com, which goes with his newpaper Siné Mensuel, that you can buy and read.
        Here Siné screams for his friends: http://www.sinemensuel.com/zone-de-sine/le-7-janvier-2015/

        The whole planet is having opinions on Charlie Hebdo without to have ever read it.

        Siné, just like many were at Charlie Hebdo, is a true defensor of the palestinian cause, is a true anti-clericalist, but in no way antisemitic. There is a line there.

        Anti-clericalism means that he is against the authoritarian power of any religions in the society.

        Month ago I would have criticised Charlie a lot, but what the fuck is such conversation that would suggest that they would be guilty of their own killing. The used their right to free expression the way the want. They choose their line. All that is normal. Anyone who dont like it can create another newspaper.

        Killing in order to propagate ideas is fascism.

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      • No one is suggesting that anyone should be killed for their opinions or speech. Whatever his views about his former colleagues after they were killed, the story about Sine is true. The meme suggests that it was said by Sine but it needs not be. There are no quotations. He could have said it because the substance of what is written on the meme is true.

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    • Maybe the quote is fake, but the facts are true. On you tube you could find videos of him telling what he thought about the team who stayed at Charlie’s after he was sacked by Philippe Val.But you can’t see them anymore.after the death of his old palsHe was then entering hospital, he maybe asked to close these videos. Other founders of the paper Cavanna, Delfeil deTon, Choron, Willem and other cartoonists left disgustedwith new style under Val
      For who read french: http://www.article11.info/?Charlie-Hebdo-pas-raciste-Si-vous

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