Posted on 07/12/2006 5:12:55 AM PDT by Eurotwit
THE far-right vice-president of the Italian Senate stoked anti-French feeling in the country overnight, branding Italy's World Cup final opponents "blacks, Islamists and communists".
Roberto Calderoli, head of the right-wing popular Northern League party, refused to retract earlier comments in which he hailed Italy's defeat of France in Monday's World Cup final as "a victory for Italian identity".
"When I say that France's team is composed of blacks, Islamists and communists, I am saying an objective and evident thing," Calderoli was quoted as saying today by the ANSA news agency.
His comment, in response to a complaint to the Senate by France's ambassador to Italy, reiterated remarks made on Monday in the aftermath of Italy's World Cup victory.
Italy's all-white team, from a largely devout Catholic populace, had won against "a France team which sacrificed its own identity by lining up blacks, Islamists and communists to get results", Calderoli said on the day of the final.
Members of the France team, composed largely of non-white players, returned to a heroes' welcome yesterday despite their 5-3 penalty shootout defeat to Italy in Berlin.
France captain Zinedine Zidane gave an unexpected twist to the match when he was sent off for head-butting Marco Materazzi, after the Italy defender allegedly made racist insults.
But Zidane, born to Algerian parents, was backed by his country's politicians.
"France admires you and loves you," President Jacques Chirac told him on his team's return from the tournament.
France's ambassador to Italy, Yves Aubin de Messuziere, denounced Calderoli's earlier comments as "an unacceptable and contemptible declaration, meant to foment hatred".
But Calderoli refused to apologise.
"France is a multiethnic nation, given its colonial past, of which I would not be proud," he said.
"It's not my fault if certain people were puzzled to see a team which lined up seven blacks out of 11 players . . . (or) if certain players prefer Mecca to Bethlehem."
Calderoli, a former institutional reform minister in the government of ex-president Silvio Berlusconi, has made a reputation for inflammatory comments and gestures.
He resigned as minister in February after he was criticised for wearing a T-shirt lampooning the Prophet Mohammed, sparking deadly anti-Italian riots in Libya.
Apparently, Zidane will come out with his version of events later this evening.
He didnt need to make a comment on color but his comment on Islamists's and Commies was spot on.
Hmm I bet the Italian players could have done without this knucklehead.
Agreed.
Berlusconi seemed to have included a lot of loopy people in his government. To be fair, he seems a bit off center himself as well :-)
Credit to Calderoli for the Muhammed t-shirt episode though :-)
He's right, you know. Blacks and Islamics go back for centuries in France. That is why the team is so representative of France.
spot on racist, spot on bone, and spot on keen on media presence.
If your with these guys your not in good company. (I am earning a horses head as a sleeping aid here)
Yeah,
Northern League is pretty much on par with Front National isn't it?
Pity that we cannot get real right-wing parties based on American conservatism.
Cheers.
It's the same kind of apologetic, kow-towing, hand-wringing that goes on in the left whenever an "insurgent" blows up a market full of people.
"France admires you and loves you," President Jacques Chirac told him on his team's return from the tournament."
Loosely translated, "Please don't starting burning cars again because your sorry asses lost the world cup."
After Berlusconin left, the Italian anti-mafia investigators had the time of their lifes aresting highest ranking god-fathers. They said that they used the opportunity immediatly before these guys reorganized.
Well - ahem - Berlusconi and this here individual are certainly good ol' capitalists and catholics. Furhter on they are knee deep involved in the Mafia, racists and the scum of the world.
Yes that's possible even if your non-muslim.
Bring this guy over here and make him Secretary of State!!!
I wouldn't be too proud of those floppy cry-foul pantywaists if I were him. Personally, I'm kinda proud that the U.S. doesn't do well in such a sport (it's not really the sport I dislike, it's the way it's played).
we have one - it's called FDP and has a good tradition of foreign ministers and economic experts.
They came down a bit because ex-chancelor Kohl made them a coalition partner without politcal power. I guess and hope they will be a partner in the next german government.
That would be excellent for the US brothel- and drug infrastructure.
But I take it that's ok as long as it is racist, too.
I was hoping for an FDP-CDU coalition the last election.
Hopefully next time.
In Norway, we have the Progress party that probably comes the closest. They are based on classical liberal values, but in practical politics tends to be too populist for my taste. I.e. if some big government program seems like a vote-winner you can be sure they will all of a sudden support it.
The ideal situation would probably be an alliance with the conservative party. It would drag the conservatives to the right, whilst the conservatives could hopfully restrain the more populist tendencies of the Progress party.
Cheers.
Meanwhile, the national delusion persists that the cold-war with the Ruskies and the Chi-Coms has ended. Pure delusional thinking. The only change is that the Ruskies are operating from a smaller base than they did in previous decades while the Chi-Coms are operating from what is now a stronger and growing economic and military foundation. Some day it may be said that Walmart built China...
Oops - how the heck did I post the above reply to the WRONG article! Old-timer's disease, I guess!
Zidane is a dirty terrorist - a French one.
Watch the video - Materazzi was walking away, and Zidane started yapping at him. Materazzi was provoked, and spoke back, leading to the vicious and cowardly (terrorist/French) attack.
Zidane justly deserve our disdain.
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