Brigitte Bardot On Trial For Muslim Slur

PARIS — Brigitte Bardot is back on trial in France, facing charges of fanning discrimination and racial hatred against Muslims.

In a Paris court hearing Tuesday, prosecutors said they are seeking a two-month suspended prison sentence and a $23,900 fine against the former screen siren and animal rights campaigner.

Bardot, 73, was not present for the hearing. A verdict is expected June 3.

A leading French anti-racism group known as MRAP filed suit last year over a letter that Bardot sent to then-Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, and which was published in her foundation's quarterly journal.

In the letter to Sarkozy, now the president, Bardot accused France's Muslim population of destroying France, and complained about the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha.

French anti-racism laws prevent inciting hatred and discrimination on racial or religious or racial grounds. Bardot has been convicted four times for inciting racial hatred.

(This version CORRECTS spelling of word 'feast'. )

Comments

[QueenCeleste]

07:52 PM on 04/19/2008

I am livid that this tireless worker for animal welfare must be dragged through the courts for simply speaking the truth. She, like Doris Day, has devoted the best years of her life to animal protection work. In return, she is forced to face indignities like this absurd trial.

By the way, it is refreshing to see a face that hasn't been injected, sliced and drawn into a tight mask. She was beautiful then and she is beautiful now, but also with great character. God bless you Miss Bardot!

[thankulord13]

08:32 AM on 04/20/2008

You know what! You are so ignorant... you said she is speaking the truth well lets speak some more truths... the world we live in is a mess because of the racist imperialist caucasian nations of the world (i.e. the United States and most of Western Europe) This like Rev. Wright said (which is the truth) is called chickens coming home to roost...

[Moxo]

05:42 PM on 04/19/2008

Kudos, Brigitte for not having any "plastique" (or at least keeping it to a minimum) as at least you still showcharcter and humanity n your face. Some the current Mrs. McCain should bear in mind. (If I were her I'd keep an eye on the interns).

[Izadora]

04:11 PM on 04/19/2008

Am fan of Brigitte. So glad that she still have her own face (without buttox etc) . She's grand dame.
Besides she does not care what peeps think about her. Congratulations to you Mrs. Bardot.

[noasalira]

04:04 AM on 04/19/2008

Hey, maybe France shouldn't have worked so hard to indoctrinate them in French culture and language, to see France as the 'mother country' to be worshipped, and so many of them wouldn't have begun moving to France to follow all the wealth siphoned out of their resources and to follow the path to be get closer to their colonizing mother country? French museums full of looted cultural/historical works of art from these nations -- maybe the people were following those?

Maybe if France hadn't gone around seizing foreign lands there wouldn't be so many french-speaking muslims actually believing all that 'love france' indoctrination and wouldn't go there at all?

How arrogant of people of European descent to now complain that someone is 'overtaking them' -- wasn't it europeans who made a point of forcing their brand of religion at every people they encountered, stealing land, enslaving populations, exterminating populations, forced sterilizations, rapes, deliberately spreading diseases, banning local languages, imposing euro-culture, Apartheid, destroying the environment, forcing people onto reservations in their own country, removing indigenous leadership with murder, and making sure to do all of it with profit in mind (belgian congo, anyone?) -- profit that sucked nations dry?

[forpeace]

12:41 AM on 04/18/2008

*

I do not agree with the two-month suspended prison sentence, but how can someone who campaigns for animal rights fans discrimination and racial hatred against another human being?!

That is questionable?!

Nowadays some people care more about animals than humans, very strange!

*

[QueenCeleste]

08:16 PM on 04/19/2008

Miss Bardot is speaking for those with no voice, no vote, those who are completely at the mercy of man's whims.

How tiring, the claim that some people care more about animals than people. Can't people care for both? Some just choose to champion animals because of the endless threats they face: vivisection, baby seal clubbing, whale slaughter, factory farming, being put to sleep by the millions because there are not enough homes, fur, animal sacrifice, bull fights, cock fights, dog fights, circuses, ivory poaching, habitat destruction, extinction---shall I go on?

Why are you threatened by people speaking out on these horrors?

[strifeknot]

10:34 PM on 04/17/2008

Stifling free speech is not a reasonable way to deal with bigotry. It just makes a martyr of those who discriminate. Call them out with enlightened speech instead. Dialogue is more effective than suppression.

[chimpette]

12:23 AM on 04/18/2008

The truth is never popular. Viva la Brigitte!

[chimpette]

12:27 AM on 04/18/2008

Forgot to add - the Muslims are destroying England too. Last I heard, the church of England was going to approve Sharia.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

[strifeknot]

08:12 AM on 04/18/2008

Well, it's seed has certainly found no purchase with you.

[ZimboChick]

08:54 PM on 04/17/2008

post my comment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! too scared?

[MRminutman]

03:49 PM on 04/17/2008

This is why the French should be speaking German

stupid French

[TheRealDude]

03:10 PM on 04/17/2008

MUSLIMS ARE GREAT,
4 ME TO POOP ON!
But seriously folks dosen't everyone hate Muslims. Detestable lot.

[Eduardodelazul411]

03:16 AM on 04/18/2008

Downright bigoted, this is.

Terrorism is forbidden in Islam.

[MJD615]

12:00 PM on 04/20/2008

"Terrorism is forbidden in Islam" ..... Tell that to Daniel Pearl and his widow....

[booker52]

02:59 PM on 04/17/2008

Give me a break, I put this on par with the fucking cartoons.

[Gasparilla]

09:40 PM on 04/17/2008

The guy who drew the most controversial cartoon was the subject of death threats. There was also the Dutch film maker Theo van Gogh, who was murdered on the streets of Amsterdam for making a film about the Muslim treatment of women.

[majormoderate]

10:50 AM on 04/17/2008

regardless of whether or not one agrees with what she has said... the fact taht you can get prosecuted for this is absurd...

apparently the french haven't heard of freedom of speech

[halfdemhalfgop]

04:31 PM on 04/19/2008

The French will let you say anyting you about the USA..They will even let you piss on a hot dogs

[Gasparilla]

06:40 PM on 04/16/2008

This is not exactly unknown in Europe. The fact that anyone could be prosecuted for this is chilling.

[cruisepuppy7452a]

05:35 PM on 04/16/2008

Vive la femme. Bravo. Bardot hasn't said anything other people have said, and yet, as she is a celeb, they choose to crucify her. Free speech is just that, nothing more, nothing less. The day we take away free speech, freedom of thought or expression, we might as well hang out a shingle and call ourselves chinese. They like it rough. Whether she said this in France, or in the US, people have to realize, this is how the public is viewing things now adays. You don't have to like it or agree, but its freedom of expression. Enough said. Finis.

[Ides]

12:37 PM on 04/16/2008

So many people keep saying "She's speaking the truth." This shows a slight ignorance of French sociopolitical status.

Keep in mind that this is the same woman who blames immigrants for taking away the class and style in prostitution. The woman's out of her damn mind.

I don't think she should be fined for "inciting racial hatred" perhaps, but then again my country's never been sold out to the Nazis so who knows what funky racial laws we would have here after stuff like that. Germany has holocaust denial laws which the United States doesn't have, and while some would see that as a restriction on free speech maybe laws like that need to be custom-tailored to certain societies in order to keep the whole thing running.

[vandegrasse]

02:48 PM on 04/16/2008

I think that what people are saying is that she is speaking her mind. Any civilized person should have that right. Bardot should have that right. Those that would deny her that right are barbarians.

[Eduardodelazul411]

05:02 AM on 04/18/2008

But a lot of people here are saying she's speaking the truth.. It's like the freerepublic boards like that.

[MJD615]

12:05 PM on 04/16/2008

I like and respect Brigitte Bardot, especially for all her work concerning animal rights. Unfortunately, looks like protecting animals is safer than speaking the truth.

[Eduardodelazul411]

03:18 AM on 04/18/2008

More like speaking lies to truth.

While her likely punishment is heavy-handed, she doesn't know what she's talking about.