Mennel Ibtissem, a singer who became an internet sensation following her performance on France’s The Voice, has quit the TV show after being criticized for comments she had made on social media.
French media reported that in a post about the attack in Nice, in which 86 people were killed on Bastille Day, she said: “It has become a routine, one attack a week! And to always remain faithful the ‘terrorist’ took his identity papers with him. It’s true that, when you’re planning a dirty move, you don’t forget to take your papers.”
Weeks later, after men burst into a church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray killing an elderly priest, she said: “The real terrorist is our government.” The comments sparked a social media storm, with some users saying it was an insult to the victims of the Nice attack. The association of the victims said they were “unacceptable.” Shortly after, Ibtissem withdrew from the competition.
There have been mixed reactions to her comments.
The TF1 television channel that produces The Voice made clear they found her remaining on the show untenable. “Despite the sincere apologies, the atmosphere remained too tense. We hope her decision and the words she used will help ease the tensions,” a channel spokesperson said.
The National Bureau for Vigilance Against Anti-Semitism, or BNVCA, joined many other anti-racism groups in condemning Ibtissem and demanding she be taken off the air.
“The candidate’s beauty and charm, her talent, must not in any way serve as a pretext for the television channel,” the organization said in a statement. “Mennel cannot serve as a role model for uninformed fans. She is not a good role model, she is not a good choice, she is dangerous.”
Others openly supported her.
Saïd Benmouffolk, a philosophy teacher at Codorcet de Limay high school, published an op-ed in Libération in which he voiced support for Mennel.
Henda Ayari, a French feminist and author who grew up in a Muslim family, said L’Affaire Mennel indicates an eagerness in the French media and beyond to seek the semblance of tolerance rather than the real thing.
“Wearing a veil does not make one a saint, modesty needs no veil, beauty needs no pretty face to shine, external beauty does not mean internal one. Never rely on appearances, they’re deceiving,” Ayari wrote on Twitter.
Speaking on the RMC radio state, Ahmet Ogras, president of the French Council of the Muslim Faith, said that the young singer’s departure from the show was a “waste.” “She has a personal belief…of course the tweets shocked us, but she apologized. It’s a waste. We must continue, we must continue to respect dialogue. We shouldn’t hesitate to talk and discuss,” he said.
Kheiron, a French comedian of Iranian origin, defended Mennel on Twitter. “The aim of this message is not to defend you by trying to prove that you’re against terrorism, we know that. The goal is not to say that it’s the far-right’s strategy to harm Muslims, we know that…It’s rare to see a veiled woman on television…It’s rare that this person is also beautiful, with big blue eyes and a bright, infectious smile…And moreover, you encourage tolerance? It’s too much for the racist parts of our country…I would have liked that you silence them by singing, and not by keeping quiet.”
Sources
https://www.tsa-algerie.com/laffaire-mennel-continue-de-diviser-la-france/ http://www.liberation.fr/debats/2018/02/09/mennel-une-francaise-ordinaire_1628661
https://lemuslimpost.com/silence-ne-sauvera.html
