French Politician “Relieved” Islamophobic Laws Were Worded Inoffensively

By Si Squires-Kasten

Jan. 14, 2015

Following the January 7th attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical magazine, Minister of the Interior Bernard Cazeneuve expressed “profound gratitude” that his country phrased the laws which cause institutional discrimination against Muslims, without resorting to “disgraceful or objectionable language.”

Referring to a 2011 law banning face coverings – including niqabs, hijabs, and burqas – Cazeneuve told The Dealer he was thankful the law contained references to the “promotion of egalitarian secularism” rather than “Aladdins” or “towel heads.”

Pressed about a 2013 lawsuit accusing French police of systemic profiling of Arab citizens, the minister reiterated his appreciation that internal documents used the phrase “identification of suspicious behavior” rather than “dirty-kneed oil barons.”

Cazeneuve ended the interview by sharing a behind-the-scenes look at 2014’s highly restrictive immigration bill. “Up until the final vote, the bill still contained the words ‘camel fuckers,’” chuckled Cazeneuve. “Thank God that draft was voted down by the Senate. That would have been super racist.”