Solène Delinger 11:23 a.m., January 4, 2023
Omar Sy was invited on the set of "Quotidien" Tuesday January 3 on the occasion of the theatrical release of his new film "Tirailleurs".
The actor returned to his comments on the war in Ukraine, made during an interview for "Le Parisien".
The star was indignant at the fact that the French are more sensitive to the war in Ukraine than to the conflicts in Africa.
It's a little phrase that caused a huge outcry... In an interview with Le
Parisien
on the occasion of the release of his new film
Tirailleurs,
Omar Sy had declared: "Ukraine was not a revelation crazy for me. As I have family elsewhere, in Africa, I know that there have always been children at war, broken families. That means that when it's in Africa, you are less affected" .
"Some French people gave their lives so that Malians would stop being threatened by terrorists"
These remarks made certain political leaders jump, in particular the MEP Nathalie Loiseau.
"There are 58 French soldiers who died in the Sahel fighting against the jihadists. No, Omar Sy, the French are not 'less affected' by what is happening 'in Africa'. Some gave their lives so that the Malians stop being threatened by terrorists," she said on her Twitter account.
And, she is not the only one to be indignant at the statements of the actor, which caused a lot of reaction on the news channels.
"Omar Sy, an illegitimate indignation?", "Omar Sy, the ingrate of Los Angeles", "Wars in Africa: Omar Sy is debating", could we read on some banners.
"I refuse to justify myself"
Faced with the controversy, Omar therefore had to dot the "i" during his appearance on the
Daily show,
Tuesday, January 3.
"People who can read understand what I meant," he replied ironically at first, before becoming more serious.
“It's not really what I say that is the problem, but what I am (…) I refuse to justify myself because I owe nothing to anyone, I am French!
“
Omar Sy returns to the controversy around his interview for the Parisian in #Quotidienpic.twitter.com/n9fdRJ6ohu
– Daily (@Qofficiel) January 3, 2023
"In fact, there is a system in place and every time I come out of my little hiding place with my little beard, people come to me for controversy, stuff, so that I can go into explanations. I have don't want", he explained in front of Yann Barthès.
"What I said, I said. Understand whoever wants to and if you want to understand something else, understand something else (...) What is clear is not what I am saying that 'we attack Yann, it's me", assures Omar Sy before concluding: "What I said, I said it. I think it and I assume it. What I refuse to do is is to justify myself. Because I owe nothing to anyone, I am French".