13,000 call for boycott of Orelsan over use of word 'Mongolian' in song

Can we use the word "Mongolian"?

No, according to more than 12,000 people who signed a petition to this effect, on the Change.org site.

This text criticizes the singer Orelsan for the use of this word in his new title "The smell of gasoline", broadcast since November 17.

"We take Mongols, give them weapons / Call it justice, are surprised by the tragedies", recalls Orelsan in his title.

And uses the same term, a few seconds later: "Since the Mongols became experts / Surrounded by Mongols, the Mongol Empire / We make the Mongols to please the Mongols."

"

“As you know, the

term

defines the cultural and national identity of a whole people.

This name, which should be neutral like the

,

,

,

adjectives

and many others, is unfortunately still and still in use in French, connoted by

 ", deplores the association Routes nomades in its petition.

"Its use is racist and discriminatory"

"If the meaning of the song refers here to an idiotic person, and does not refer to people of Mongolian nationality or origin (of Mongolia), its use remains racist and discriminatory", deplores the association in its petition, estimating that “the use of the

term

in this way is not only insulting, but also undermines Mongolian identity and trivializes disrespect for human dignity”.

Through their petition, which brings together nearly 13,000 signatures this Wednesday evening, its authors call for a boycott "of this singer in order to abolish the extremely offensive connotation of the

term

in the French language".

And the association Routes nomades to call to put "pressure on the media to no longer broadcast this song" and festivals to deprogram the singer's dates.

She also asks Orelsan to apologize.

Already a controversy more than ten years ago

This is not the first time that rapper Orelsan has been at the center of a controversy. Already in 2009, his song "Dirty bitch" had caused an uproar. He rapped there in particular: "We'll see how you suck when I dislocate your jaw / You're just a sow, you deserve your place at the slaughterhouse." He was then accused of inciting "violence against women". Feminist associations had lodged a complaint for "provocation to crime", but the rapper had been released. He had been deprogrammed from several festivals.

Orelsan was also controversial for a reference to the death in 2003 of actress Marie Trintignant, killed under the blows of Bertrand Cantat, in one of his songs. "Shut your mouth or you're going to be Marie-Trintignier", he said in his title "Valentine's Day". He had been the target of feminist associations which, in 2018, when he had been elected male artist of the year at the Victoires de la Musique, had asked that his trophies be withdrawn.

“These are differences of point of view and it was another time, the beginning of the era of controversy, whereas now there are all the time.

I understand that it could have shocked, like any shock according to the sensibilities of each one, had said the rapper, at the end of October, in front of the readers of Parisian.

“I like to look back, I listen again a month later and I see if I like it artistically, he also explained.

But I'm not telling myself

If I want to create a controversy, a tweet is enough.

Afterwards, if I want to go on a super hot topic, it has to be very well written.

"