‘Paris, Marseille run by Muslim North Africans is a betrayal of France’

The author of controversial tweets against Muslim municipal candidates Rachida Dati and Samia Ghali, Agnès Cerighelli was quickly denounced by Castaner, who announced on Sunday that he would take legal action for “provocation to hatred”.

She is accustomed to controversial tweets, and the city councilor of Saint-Germain-en-Laye Agnès Cerighelli has once again distinguished herself on social networks. On Saturday, February 15, the ex-elected LREM wrote a post against Rachida Dati and Samia Ghali, respectively municipal candidate in Paris and Marseille.

“French political parties prefer to invest Maghreb candidates of Muslim faith rather than French candidates of Catholic faith. This is real discrimination!” she complained. “To want Paris and Marseille to be run by North Africans of the Muslim faith is to betray France, its identity and its history,” wrote Agnès Cerighelli in one of her messages.

On Sunday, February 16, in another post illustrated with a photo of Rachida Dati,  Cerighelli  tweeted: “I call on Parisians to abandon their naivety and Les Républicains to be less gullible. Paris, the capital of France, cannot be governed by a Maghreb candidate of Muslim faith.”

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner immediately condemned these remarks. “Getting used to this kind of indiscretions, remaining impassive in the face of such disgusting remarks, is to advance hatred and push back the Republic. I will report these tweets to the public prosecutor for provoking hatred, under article 40 of criminal procedure,” said the tenant at Place Beauvau.

As was recalled by Ouest France, Agnès Cerighelli appeared in court in Versailles on January 20 for tweets posted in March 2019 attacking the “LGBT lobby”. She was sentenced to a fine of 4 000 euros, including 2 000 euros suspended, and asked to compensate five associations fighting against homophobia for two tweets deemed insulting to homosexuals.

The elected official, on the other hand, was not found guilty of “public provocation to hatred or violence because of sexual orientation” for her tweet in which she described the “LGBT lobby” as “sect” making use “lies and propaganda” to advance its cause.

She also called LGBT activists “an infamous lobby and perverse”. The judge also ordered her to delete this tweet of March 28 within three days, that of March 29 having already disappeared.

“Agnès Cerighelli has built her political career by spreading hate speech against homosexuals and Muslims on social networks,” said Etienne Deshoulières, lawyer for an LGBT association, who was delighted with this announcement.

Meanwhile questioned in the columns of the JDD on February 16, the leader of the Republicans in the Senate denounced the lack of courage of the executive in the face of political Islam.

Bruno Retailleau painted a disturbing picture of Islamism in France. In an interview with the Journal du dimanche, the leader of the Les Républicains senators condemned elected officials who are “accomplices of the Islamists on the right as on the left,” while stressing that “we are losing the fight against Islamism – soon it will be too late”.

While Emmanuel Macron promised responses against radicalization, ethnic communities and the funding of mosques this week, Bruno Retailleau said that “what was most lacking is lucidity and courage, that he acts against political Islam, supports secularism and also examines immigration” .

Faced with jihadists who wish to return to France, the senator proposed “reinforced legality control which may go as far as republican trusteeship of a community by the prefect when serious shortcomings are noted”.

He insisted on the need not to have those “back in France who betrayed their country. They must be tried on the spot, by countries or by an international tribunal”.  Bruno Retailleau finally said a “denial of access to the French territory” should be sought for such individuals.

As a reminder, the government is currently working, with the contribution of the various ministerial offices, to develop an action plan against ethnic communities. The objective is to put in place a “strategy to fight against Islamism and against attacks on republican principles”.