Europe 1 with AFP // Photo credit: Arthur N. Orchard / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP 12:41 p.m., September 28, 2023
RN deputies have decided to no longer sit on the parliamentary commission of inquiry into dysfunctions in sports federations, they announced. These elected officials accuse the commission of inquiry of "obscuring major subjects such as the Islamization of certain sports clubs".The RN deputies decided to no longer sit on the parliamentary commission of inquiry into dysfunctions in sports federations, accusing it of "obscuring major subjects such as the Islamization of certain sports clubs". "We found that the hearings were essentially focused on a problem that should not be denied: sexual abuse and homophobia," but "that was deliberately obscured the burning issue of radical Islamist activities in the world of sport," accused RN deputy Roger Chudeau Thursday, during a press briefing at the Assembly.
A commission "empty of meaning", says Julien Odoul
"It is a denial of reality," said the far-right MEP, accusing Europe Ecologie Les Verts, the party of committee rapporteur Sabrina Sebaihi, of "Islamo-leftism". The National Rally claims to have asked for hearings without obtaining satisfaction, including that of the collective of Muslim players of the "Hijabeuses", who had tried to challenge in court the regulation of the French Football Federation which prohibits the wearing of ostensibly religious symbols on the fields.
MP Julien Odoul (RN) in turn criticised the commission for not "focusing on political Islam in sport, the rise of communitarianism and anti-white racism". The two elected representatives explained their position at the opening of the day of hearings on Thursday. "In these conditions, we consider that this commission of inquiry is totally meaningless, that it will not achieve its objectives given the direction that is taken, we will no longer sit," said Julien Odoul in committee.
A commission under fire
"We take note," replied President Béatrice Bellamy (Horizons, Vendée). The ecologists had announced in June to launch this commission to work on the "excesses of sports federations", "sexist and sexual violence, homophobia, racism and corruption". The approach irritates some executives of French sport, including the new president of the Olympic Committee (CNOSF) David Lappartient, who denounced in a letter "outrageous accusations".
The commission also drew criticism from Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra because of the launch of a platform of victims' testimonies "Balance ton sport", while the government has already launched its platform "Signal-sports" three years ago, in the wake of the Sarah Abitbol case. Amélie Oudéa-Castéra put a layer on Sunday on France 3 by estimating that this new initiative (Balance your sport) was "beside the point".