France: policing language to protect Israel leads to arrest of pro-Palestine activist

A prominent pro-Palestine activist and long-time campaigner against Islamophobia has been arrested in France. The arrest of Elias d’Imzalène has been described as being part of the French state’s increasing efforts to intimidate and silence pro-Palestine voices.

D’Imzalène leads the group Perspective Musulmane and is a key figure in the Urgence Palestine collective. He was taken into custody yesterday following a police interview. His arrest stems from an ongoing investigation by the French government, reportedly initiated after footage emerged of d’Imzalène using the word “intifada” during a pro-Palestine, anti-genocide march on 8 September.

The Arabic word intifada literally means uprising or shaking off. A mass, popular uprising against oppression, for example, is an intifada. The term is commonly associated with the Palestinian uprisings against Israel’s illegal occupation, as it captures the spirit of popular struggle, resilience and the legitimate quest for liberation against racial domination.

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Israel and its Western allies have intensified efforts to suppress the use of the term intifada in what many see as yet another example of policing the language of people subjugated to racial domination and racist persecution. Earlier this month, British peace activist Marieha Hussain was acquitted of hate crime having been arrested for carrying a placard depicting the then-UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his right-wing Home Secretary Suella Braverman as coconuts. Hussain is said to have been targeted by pro-Israel groups.

A similar effort to suppress pro-Palestine protest through vexatious complaints is believed to have swayed French officials. The detention of d’Imzalène was in response to pro-Zionist media and officials’ demands. The Paris Prosecutor’s Office announced an investigation into d’Imzalène’s alleged incitement to “hatred”, “violence” and “crimes against the fundamental interests of the nation.”

Critics argue that this move illustrates a stark double standard in France, where the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo is permitted to publish what many consider deeply offensive anti-Muslim content, while dissenting voices against state-supported actions are silenced.

A community protest took place yesterday outside the police station where d’Imzalène is being held, with supporters demanding his immediate release. The activist can be held for up to 48 hours without formal charges.

“We fully support Elias d’Imzalène” said Rayan Freschi, a researcher for CAGE International, who condemned the arrest. “Despite an ongoing political crisis in France, the state continues its targeting of Muslim community organisations and leaders unabated. We are witnessing how condemning the genocide in Gaza and exposing its enablers is becoming criminalised. Statements of solidarity are being deliberately misconstrued to justify politicised prosecutions under the guise of incitement or undermining national security.”

This case is seen as the latest in a series of actions against Muslim activists, including Abdourahmane Ridouane and Imam Ismail, who have faced persecution for opposing genocide and Islamophobia. It is argued that these arrests form part of a broader psychological campaign aimed at silencing, subjugating and controlling the entire Muslim community in France. The latest incident has reignited debates about freedom of speech and the treatment of Muslim activists in the country, with many seeing it as an escalation of France’s controversial approach to secularism and its Muslim population.

READ: Islamophobia in France: MEMO in conversation with Rayan Freschi