2023-10-26 08:17:15
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin defended his controversial remarks about Karim Benzema on Wednesday evening in Abu Dhabi, saying that “it hides something” when a footballer posts a political opinion “selectively”.
“One might wonder what a footballer is doing tweeting a political opinion and that, when he does it, he does it selectively. I personally think that it hides something and not to see it is to be naive,” declared Mr. Darmanin, who was questioned during a meeting with members of the French community, at the residence of the ambassador of France to Abu Dhabi.
“We can wonder why the Minister of the Interior reacts to a footballer’s tweet, but when it affects 20 million people, I think it is my role to denounce this,” added the minister, who was in the United Arab Emirates for a meeting of interior ministers of the International Security Alliance (ISA).
On October 16 on Cnews, Mr. Darmanin accused Karim Benzema of having a “notorious link” with the Muslim Brotherhood, a radical Islamist organization born in Egypt.
The minister criticized the ex-Real Madrid star, who now plays in Saudi Arabia, for posting a message on of these unjust bombings which spare neither women nor children”, without expressing compassion towards the Israeli victims of Hamas.
Gérald Darmanin’s comments triggered an outcry, with the left accusing him in particular of exploiting the unloved French football. The footballer’s lawyer announced his intention to file a complaint.
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