Enrico Macias gave this interview to L'Arche on the 50th anniversry of his exodus from Algeria (in French)
An invitation issued by an Algerian Minister to Enrico Macias, the France-based Jewish singer, to visit the land of his birth, has been greeted with outrage, Al-Arabiya reports. Despite previous invitations, the singer, whose father-in-law Raymond Leyris was murdered by nationalists, has not been back since 1962. On a Youtube video, an activist based in London alleged that Macias's grandfather had urinated in a mosque (with thanks: Tom Gross).
Algerian Communication Minister Naser Mehal took everyone by surprise when he announced an invitation to controversial Jewish singer Enrico Macias to visit Algeria, thus lifting the years-long ban on the Algerian-origin artist.
Macias, slammed in Algeria for his pro-Israel stance, was banned from entering his country of origin twice, once in 2000 and 2007. Both times, massive demonstrations were held to protest his being hosted.
Mehal, however, said that it was the singer who decided against visiting Algeria.
Mehal accused Macias of lying when he declared that it was the Algerian government that canceled the visits following popular pressure.
“In Algeria there is a tendency towards staying silent about the issue so that we won’t cause problems, but Algerian-French relations should not be affected by whether Macias comes or not.”
According to Mehal, Macias first planned to visit Algeria in 2000, a few months after President Abdelaziz Bouteflika took office. At that time, the vibes Macias got from the president were quite positive so he announced his visit, then changed his mind after Algerians took to the streets and called for banning him from entering the country.
In 2007, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy decided to pay an official visit to Algeria and decided to include Macias in the delegation hoping that this would make it easier for the singer.
However, the objection came from the Algerian government when the then Prime Minister Abdel Aziz Belkhadem threatened to boycott Sarkozy’s visit if Macias accompanied him.
Belkhadem also launched a fierce campaign against the singer in several Algerian cities where he told people that he supported the French occupation and that he is pro-Israeli.
Popular resistance to Macias’s visit was more forceful this time and triggered the establishment of a national committee against normalization with Israel which was headed by Khaled bin Ismail, a very close friend of Belkhadem and late Algerian President Ahmed Ben Bella. The committee was supported by the sons of martyrs and freedom fighters.
However, it seemed that only some residents of his birthplace, the northern city of Constantine, were ready to receive him and, in fact, painted the Jewish cemetery in blue and white in preparation for his visit.
Then too Macias canceled his visit and Sarkozy reportedly consoled him saying, “Be patient. You will go there sometime soon.” To this, Macias reportedly replied, “Of course one day I will visit Algeria and my hometown Constantine.”
Political analyst Abdul Aali Razaki warned of the consequences of Macias’s visit.
“Algerians are known their dislike of all things Jewish, let alone someone whose brother-in-law musician Raymond Leyris was involved in killing Algerians during the independence war,” he told Al Arabiya.
Razaki criticized Mehal for inviting Macias, an action that he labeled “insensitive” and “unethical.”
“I would have expected this invitation to come from Culture Minister Khalida Toumi because she had visited Israel before.”
He also accused the Algerian government of involving people in “petty” issues so that they can be distracted from their real problems.
Prominent Algerian activist who goes by the name “Algerie Salah de Londre” posted a video on You Tube slamming the invitation.
In the video, entitled “Mehal welcomes Enrico Macias in Algeria,” Salah de Londre said that Algerians have no problem with people’s religions and that it is not about Macias being Jewish, but his support for Israel against Palestine especially during the aggression on Gaza, known as Operation Cast Lead.
“Did you ask Algerians and the residents of Constantine if they are willing to receive Macias?” he said addressing Mehal.
Salah added that Macias’s grandfather is known for having urinated in a mosque in Constantine in order to humiliate Algerians.
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someone whose brother-in-law musician Raymond Leyris was involved in killing Algerians during the independence war
ReplyDeleteThis character, supposedly a "political analyst", is blowing the same horn as that young PhD from UCLA whom we spoke of recently [Sung Choi?]. The theme is: The Jews helped the French against the Arabs, against the Muslims. The Jews are traitors. The Jews are ungrateful dhimmis.
The story about his father-in-law urinating in a mosque just adds some spice to the theme, to the basic message. But UCLA is worse because they are supposed to be academic, scholarly, objective, etc.
You've got to feel sorry for Muslims. They are trapped in those webs of lies and and conspiracies that is what prevents them from thinking scientifically and be all they can be. That's the only way their leaders can rule.You'd think they'd want to educate the masses.
ReplyDeleteThe worst part, according to the video, is that Enrico Macias has never himself initiated a request to go visit Algeria. Eve4ry once in while, some leader would invite him and generate all that hate. Probably to divert the attention from their actions. My guess is that the Algerians are about to intervene in Mali against Aqmi and that's not very popular.
Now there is a new one: a former Kaddafi's aide confirms that his mother was indeed Jewish and that he used to kill everyone who knew about it.
It's not Kaddafi they're trying to demonize, he is already a dead demon. It is the Jews they want to demonize by associating them with Kaddafi.
If his mother was Jewish, she surely converted upon marriage. That makes her a Muslim.
I think I read here on PoNR that it was Qadafi's grandmother who was Jewish and was abducted by Arabs/Muslims.
ReplyDelete