On Sunday, the geopolitical scientist and founder of IRIS attracted strong criticism after publishing a message about the PS mayor of Saint-Ouen, Karim Bouamrane. François Rebsamen announced that he would suspend his collaboration with the think tank and cancel the 7th edition of the “Internationales”.
In a press release published this Monday, October 21, François Rebsamen, the mayor of Dijon, announced that his city was canceling the 7th edition of the “International” – a cycle of conferences and debates organized each year in the city – scheduled for November 22 and 23 after the controversial remarks made by geopolitologist Pascal Boniface. He also specified that he was suspending his city’s collaboration with the Institute for International and Strategic Research (IRIS), one of the main French think tanks, founded and directed by the researcher.
“Mr. Boniface’s comments regarding the mayor of Saint-Ouen, Karim Bouamrane, describing him as a ”muslim in appearance”, are opposed to the values of inclusion and mutual respect that the City of Dijon defends. “, is written in the press release. “Such comments, which contribute to identity assignment and division, are unacceptable and in no way reflect the spirit of openness, universalism and dialogue that we wish to promote within our community”it is specified.
On Sunday, geopolitical researcher Pascal Boniface drew strong criticism by using the expression “Muslim in appearance in commentary on a video concerning the socialist mayor of Saint-Ouen, Karim Bouamrane, who chose not to speak on the conflict in the Middle East in a broadcast. “Honestly, I wonder about this man who I don’t know personally. Is he an example of meritocracy? So well done! Or exploited like an apparently Muslim who does not criticize Netanyahu and therefore benefits from big media promotion”wrote the boss of IRIS.
Rising figure of the PS and member of the wing of the party opposed to the alliance with France Insoumise (LFI), Karim Bouamrane was himself indignant at being described as a Muslim “of appearance”. “After 30 years of commitment to the left, elected to the Republic since 1995, this is how a researcher qualifies me and definitively disqualifies himself. The fight against essentialization continues! Long live the Republic! Long live France!”wrote about X the mayor of Saint-Ouen, of Moroccan origin and whose name had circulated for Matignon after the legislative elections of July 7.
Faced with the controversy, the researcher apologized this Monday morning on X, regretting the clumsy use of the expression “muslim in appearance”. He explains that he removed the tweet “while maintaining the fundamental questions posed in the face of the silence concerning an unacceptable situation in Gaza where the risk of genocide is more evident every day”.
France
