This is a bit of poetic justice for the thoroughly loathsome Sacha Baron Cohen, who has grown rich by victimizing and ridiculing decent people, and who has called for Facebook to censor the speech of those whom he hates. In any case, it reinforces the ever-applicable principle: in Muslim countries, one must conform one’s behavior to Muslim sensibilities. And in non-Muslim countries, one must conform one’s behavior to Muslim sensibilities.
So France, despite Macron’s tough words, appears to be choosing surrender and submission.
“French buses remove Borat posters after outcry from Muslims over the near-naked comedy character wearing a ring that reads ‘Allah,'” by Charlotte Mitchell, Mailonline, November 4, 2020 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):
A poster for the latest Borat film on Paris buses has caused anger among some French Muslims for featuring a nearly-naked Sacha Baron Cohen wearing a ring bearing the word ‘Allah’ in Arabic script.
Incensed locals have taken to social media, accusing the city’s authorities of insulting Islam.
While Paris’ main transport network RATP refused to remove the posters, buses on the TICE network, which operates in a largely-Muslim area, no longer feature the advert.
The poster, which can be seen on the side of many Parisian buses, shows English actor Baron Cohen wearing a gold ring with the word ‘Allah’ written on it in Arabic and wearing only a face mask to cover his genitals in tribute to the ‘mankini’ his Borat character wore in the first film.
The upset over the image comes at a time of sky-high tensions in France between the state, which argues that mocking religion is part of freedom of speech, and Muslims in France and beyond who feel especially targeted and disrespected by France’s stance.
Mass protests have taken place in Muslim-majority countries around the world over comments made by French President Emmanuel Macron in defence of controversial depictions of the Prophet Mohammed.
France and other European countries have raised their terror level alerts in response to three recent attacks.
Bus Drivers in Paris, many of whom are Muslim, have appealed to the city’s transport authority to remove the poster.
One driver, named as Django M, reportedly threatened to ‘scratch over’ the poster, saying it was ‘incredible’ that the image had been allowed to adorn Paris’ buses.
RATP refused to remove them, saying it would ‘under no circumstances’ take this campaign off our network, according to French daily Le Parisien.
However, the advert has been removed from TICE network buses which cover Evry, a southern suburb with a large Muslim population, The Times reported.
RATP denied it had removed the posters out of concern for Muslim sensibilities, saying the decision was made because ‘their offbeat humour was judged by the TICE management to be inappropriate.’
It also rubbished reports that had emerged on social media claiming people had thrown stones at the buses over the weekend in areas of the city with large immigrant populations, saying such attacks were common during Halloween….