Islam versus Europe

Until now, no one dared to file a complaint against Charlie Hebdo, following the publication last september of the cartoons featuring on the person that some call the prophet. The various exhortations and threats from Islamist or Islamic movements therefore remained verbal. uite à la publication en septembre dernier de ses fameux dessins mettant en cause celui que certains appellent le Prophète. Les exhortations et menaces diverses issues des mouvances islamistes ou islamiques étaient donc restées verbales.

But now things are moving and we are able to announcew that the weekly magazine has just received an extensive (28 pages !!!) citation to appear. The said appearance will take place on 29 January at the XVII Chanmber of the TGI Paris, usually responsible for dealing with press matters.

This citation comes from two organisations that hitherto were completely unknown: the association Rassemblement Démocratique Algérien pour la Paix et le Progrès (RDAP) [Algerian Democratic Union for Peace and Progress] and the association Organisation Arabe Unie (OAU) [United Arab Organisation] calling itself a "branch association of the RDAP" (sic), both based in Sarcelles and both under the direction of a certain Zaoui Saada.

These nice people are of course indignant about the fact that Charlie attacked the image of the so-called prophet, but, proceeding from there, develop a rather audacious point of law.

In his citation, Zaoui Saada expresses the view that by defaming Allah, it is he himself who has personally and publicly been defamed as well as the organisations he directs. Such a crime cannot remain unpunished, so he demands 200,000 euros for each of the two associations and 20,000 euros for himself, based on psychological harm.

To do a proper accounting, the plaintiffs demand that the proceeds of the sale of Charlie's two "publications in dispute" on Islam, that is 362,500 euros, go to one or other of the two associations directed by Zaoui Saada – non-profit associations, it goes without saying.