The rector of the Paris Mosque, Chems-Eddine Hafiz, had filed a complaint on Wednesday January 4 against Michel Houellebecq, for “
provoking hatred against Muslims
”, before abandoning the legal proceedings.
This did not prevent the Keeper of the Seals, Éric Dupond-Moretti, from speaking out in turn on the case, while "
the legal action is suspended
".
“
I took a long time to react
, he noted on BFMTV.
Why ?
Because we have trivialized this type of remark.
15 years ago, we would all have gone to the front line to denounce them.
We got used to that.
“Then referring to the philosophical concept of” the
banality of evil
“, theorized by Hannah Arendt, the Minister of Justice continued:”
To say that Muslims are not French like the others, it is unbearable.
All this generates hatred, and it is contrary to all the values which are mine.
»
Michel Houellebecq's remarks, referred to by the rector of the Paris Mosque, were made in Michel Onfray's review,
Front populaire
.
Two extracts had been noted by the religious institution.
“
I want to recognize that the paragraphs concerned are ambiguous
”, finally recognized the author in a note sent to
Figaro
, at the end of his exchange with Chems-Eddine Hafiz.
The author of
La carte et le territoire
also said that he would clarify his statements in a book where his entire conversation with Michel Onfray would be published.