UN criticises racist attacks against black French minister

The UN high Commission for Human Rights condemned on Friday the racist attacks that have been taking place against French Minister of Justice Christiane Taubira over the past few weeks, including the front cover of a weekly paper published on Wednesday which carried her picture with the caption "Cunning as a monkey, Taubira gets the banana back." "The underlying racist intent of this play on words could not be clearer, despite the magazine's protestations that they were just using two common French expressions, the second of which is used colloquially to describe someone who is very happy", said the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Rupert Colville in a press briefing. "This is the latest in a series of similar episodes targeting Taubira. Last month, a local Front National candidate compared the Minister to a monkey in a TV documentary that was broadcast on October 17. A week later, in the town of Angers, several demonstrators, including children, who were protesting against gay marriage, waved banana peels at Taubira and shouted "Monkey, eat your banana", he added. This utterly unacceptable abuse of a prominent politician, on the basis of her colour, is a stark manifestation of the rising racism, xenophobia and intolerance aimed at members of ethnic and religious minorities, as well as migrants, in many European countries. "We welcome the prompt and unequivocal condemnation of the racist attack on Taubira by the Government and many other politicians and commentators in France. Political leaders have a particular responsibility to lead the way in fighting racism, xenophobia and gender discrimination." Colville added, "We reiterate the recommendations by UN human rights mechanisms, including by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination for France to step up its efforts and to use all possible means to counter the tide of racism and xenophobia". Back in July, the OHCHR expressed its concerns about very similar racist attacks against Italian Minister of Integration, Cecile Kyenge, including remarks by Deputy Senate Speaker Roberto Calderoli comparing her to an orang-utan. "We strongly condemn these blatantly racist comments and acts, which are utterly unacceptable whether aimed at politicians, footballers or, less visibly on a daily basis, at ordinary citizens", he said.