• Why Jihad Watch?
  • About Robert Spencer and Staff Writers
  • FAQ
  • Books
  • Muhammad
  • Islam 101
  • Privacy

Jihad Watch

Exposing the role that Islamic jihad theology and ideology play in the modern global conflicts

French documentary on jihadis gets rare ’18 and over’ rating

Jan 27, 2016 11:36 am By Robert Spencer

The jihadis say that Muslims are at war with Jews and so the massacre at the Hyper Cacher supermarket was justified. They also say the massacre of the Muhammad cartoonists at Charlie Hebdo was justified, and that jihad of the sword will continue. French authorities have effectively banned the film in France by restricting it to people who are eighteen or over, which means most movie houses will not show it.

It appears that the French are afraid that the jihadis’ ideas might prove appealing to young people in France. And they’re right: certainly they will appeal to young Muslims in France, who, under the noses of French officials, are being taught essentially the same things that the jihadis say in the film. These ideas will also appeal to some non-Muslims who are sick of the aimlessness, relativism and materialism of modern French culture, and are looking for absolutes and a meaning to life — which neither the Catholic Church nor the French state in their contemporary manifestations provide today.

Oumar Ould Hamaha

“French documentary on Salafists gets rare ’18 and over’ rating,” by Guillaume Guguen, France 24, January 27, 2016:

The French ministry of culture will allow cinemas to show the controversial film “Salafistes”, which features interviews with North African jihadists, but have banned it for anyone under 18 in a rare move for a documentary in France.

The over-18 rating is normally only given to pornographic or ultra-violent films.

According to the filmmakers, the move will “kill the film”, as it effectively bans it from being aired on public TV and means cinemas will be reluctant to show it.

“Salafistes”, whose title refers to the ultra-conservative branch of Sunni Islam that drives movements such as al Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) group, drew accusations of promoting terrorism by showing frank interviews with jihadists bent on attacking Western, and in particular French, targets.

It was also accused of being an “attack on human dignity” in that it shows the murder of French policeman Ahmed Merabet during the January 2015 attacks on the offices of satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo. Merabet was shot at point blank range on the street outside the magazine’s offices.

Filmmakers François Margolin and Lemime Ould Salem said they had removed the offending scene, but insist that the film should be given as wide an audience as possible.

“It is the first time a documentary has been censured since the Algerian War [in the 1950s and 60s],” said Margolin. “What has upset the French authorities is not the violence, but the subject itself.”

Shot between 2012 and 2015 in Mali, Mauritania and Tunisia, “Salafistes” features interviews with committed Islamist jihadists.

One of the interviewees is Oumar Ould Hamaha, an Islamist militia commander from northern Mali, who became known as spokesman and chief of staff for the jihadist groups Ansar Dine and the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO). Both groups are associated with al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb or AQIM.

“By nature, man rebels against the will of God and is a slave to his passions,” Hamaha, who was killed in 2014, says in the film. “One must act with force to make him submit. This will be done by the sword, and it is with the sword that the jihad will be spread.”

In the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott, Salafist preachers in the streets share their vision of jihad. Asked about the attacks on Charlie Hebdo, they said the victims “got what they deserved”.

And when questioned about the subsequent deadly hostage-taking at a kosher supermarket in eastern Paris, the filmmakers were told: “Jews and Muslims are at war; it was justice.”

‘Our audience is intelligent’

The interviews are cut with scenes of executions, amputations, stonings, and IS group propaganda footage.

According to the filmmakers, the violence itself serves as “the best counterpoint” to the interviewees’ Salafist philosophy.

“We are reporters. We tell people what is happening and what people are saying, we want viewers to hear the [jihadists’] arguments from their own mouths,” said Margolin. “Reporting on what they say is not the same thing as promoting their ideas. When making the film, we worked on the principle that our audience is intelligent.”

Claude Lanzmann, whose 1985 film “Shoah” was based on interviews with Holocaust survivors and also with concentration camp guards, agrees.

“Salafistes” illuminates audiences on the realities of life under Sharia (Islamic law) “like no book or any ‘expert’ on Islam has ever been able to do”, he wrote in French daily le Monde.

“The audience comes to the realisation, by listening to the film’s protagonists arguing their case, that any hope of changing their attitudes, improving relations with them, or coming to any agreement is illusory and vain,” he wrote.

When the recent French film “Timbuktu” was shown in French cinemas, it was sometimes accompanied by debates and explanations for viewers, especially younger members of the audience, to avoid misinterpretations of the film’s message. The film’s Mauritanian director, Abderrahmane Sissako, helped with the making of “Salafistes”.

This will not be possible now that the film has been classified as unsuitable for under-18s.

“They want to prevent French citizens from knowing the truth,” said Margolin. “Denying reality achieves absolutely nothing. I am certain that when the film is shown abroad, it will get a good reception.”

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Follow me on Facebook

Filed Under: Featured, France, Jihad doctrine, willful ignorance Tagged With: Salafistes


Learn more about RevenueStripe...

Comments

  1. Sybil Sobieski says

    Jan 27, 2016 at 11:47 am

    So — find other ways to show this film, do an “end run” around all this censorship — AND DO IT NOW —

    • Chrisrm says

      Jan 27, 2016 at 1:28 pm

      The film is on Youtube. Hopefully they will insert English subtitles

  2. خَليفة says

    Jan 27, 2016 at 11:48 am

    I think in this case France did the right thing.

    • mortimer says

      Jan 27, 2016 at 2:27 pm

      Negative. The censorship is meant to keep the French public ignorant of the terrorism threat, thus lulling them into inactivity. The cultural Marxists realize this film could make them lose the next election!

    • gravenimage says

      Jan 27, 2016 at 8:18 pm

      You think that French citizens should be kept in the dark about Islam through government censorship?

      Why not block Jihad Watch, as well?

      • DFD says

        Jan 29, 2016 at 2:54 pm

        gravenimage says “…..Why not block Jihad Watch, as well?”

        Don’t give’em ideas….

        Regards
        DFD

        • gravenimage says

          Jan 29, 2016 at 3:14 pm

          True enough, DFD.

  3. Westman says

    Jan 27, 2016 at 12:11 pm

    The most certain way to cause a teenager to do something is to emphasize that he cannot.

    Executions, amputations, stonings – Salafistes will likely become a download and peer-to-peer sharing sensation. Does the term “French Underground” ring any bells?

    • mortimer says

      Jan 27, 2016 at 2:25 pm

      The French public needs to see the problem graphically before it will believe it is so bad and then vote the cultural Marxists out of office.

    • gravenimage says

      Jan 29, 2016 at 3:16 pm

      Westman, I *hope* a “French underground” against Jihad develops there–but so far we’ve seen little sign of it.

  4. miriamrove says

    Jan 27, 2016 at 12:23 pm

    The over-18 rating is normally only given to pornographic….

    I happen to agree with this. Their prophet was a pedophile. M

  5. Mike says

    Jan 27, 2016 at 12:32 pm

    Be better off to ban Islam !

  6. Angemon says

    Jan 27, 2016 at 1:08 pm

    “We are reporters. We tell people what is happening and what people are saying, we want viewers to hear the [jihadists’] arguments from their own mouths,” said Margolin. “Reporting on what they say is not the same thing as promoting their ideas. When making the film, we worked on the principle that our audience is intelligent.”

    Damn right.

  7. Chrisrm says

    Jan 27, 2016 at 1:30 pm

    The film is on Youtube in French. Hopefully they will insert English subtitles so all Westerners can see this important film.

    • Lucretius says

      Jan 27, 2016 at 3:25 pm

      Is it? I looked, and nothing seems longer than a few minutes of extracted footage, such as Extrait du film salafistes on Waleed Al-Husseini’s channel. Others seem to be comment on the controversy. Please provide a link if you have more.

      • gravenimage says

        Jan 29, 2016 at 3:17 pm

        So, far, it looks as though there are just short excerpts–more like a trailer than the entire film.

  8. El Cid says

    Jan 27, 2016 at 1:44 pm

    Hey Robert, this is what happens to people who report the truth.

    I hope they post it on Youtube and let other news sites such as yours build awareness.

    I’m ready to translate it!

  9. The Bull says

    Jan 27, 2016 at 2:00 pm

    The inconvenient truth is that Islam is an answer to the Wests ‘aimlessness, relativism and materialism.”.
    We know Islam is not the answer because of it’s lack of human rights, lack of democracy and plain historical falsity.
    Nevertheless they are exploiting our weak spot. I guess the alternative is to have a form of religion that respects people, has democracy, is logically correct but also addresses the ‘aimlessness, relativism and materialism.” of the west.

  10. Champ ✿ says

    Jan 27, 2016 at 3:12 pm

    Whoa is that Steven Tyler? ..lol!

    • Katnis says

      Jan 27, 2016 at 8:14 pm

      No way! I don’t feel disgusted when I look at Steven. LOL

  11. dragaozao says

    Jan 27, 2016 at 5:17 pm

    Truth is normally painfull. So, I bet this movie will be banned from almost every western country. Of course, there’s always the net… at least for the time being…

    • gravenimage says

      Jan 27, 2016 at 8:44 pm

      I’ve only found short excerpts of this film on-line–so far, at least.

  12. gravenimage says

    Jan 27, 2016 at 8:10 pm

    French documentary on jihadis gets rare ’18 and over’ rating

    French authorities have effectively banned the film in France by restricting it to people who are eighteen or over, which means most movie houses will not show it.
    ……………………………….

    dhimmi French authorities don’t want the public to know the truth about Islam–even though they are increasingly suffering from its depredations in the streets. Damn cowards.

  13. Matthieu Baudin says

    Jan 27, 2016 at 10:13 pm

    “…These ideas will also appeal to some non-Muslims who are sick of the aimlessness, relativism and materialism of modern French culture, and are looking for absolutes and a meaning to life — which neither the Catholic Church nor the French state in their contemporary manifestations provide today…”

    Yes, sadly so; the resurgent appeal of totalitarian dreams, especially for our youth. Very well expressed.
    Michel Foucault himself fell in awe of the newly emergent absolutist Islamic Republic of Iran that he visited not that long before his early death from HIV/AIDS.

  14. AliciaG says

    Jan 28, 2016 at 1:12 am

    We need to look at not only the quran but the Sunnah. The Sunnah is easier reading and most will easily understand the message of martydom and murder as being the highest form of appreciation a Muslim can commit to allah.

    This is essentially the jihad manual for Muslims. Note the sheer level of demonic teachings that abound. Please keep the link and share it.
    http://sunnah.com/bukhari/56

  15. Jack Diamond says

    Jan 28, 2016 at 2:21 am

    Funny man. Islamic brotherhood at the hajj in action:
    July 2, 1990: A stampede inside a pedestrian tunnel (Al-Ma’aisim tunnel) leading out from Mecca towards Mina and the Plains of Arafat led to the deaths of 1,426 pilgrims, many of them of Malaysian, Indonesian and Pakistani origin.
    May 23, 1994: A stampede killed at least 270 pilgrims at the stoning of the Devil ritual.
    April 9, 1998: at least 118 pilgrims were trampled to death and 180 injured in an incident on Jamaraat Bridge.

    March 5, 2001: 35 pilgrims were trampled to death in a stampede during the stoning of the Devil ritual.
    February 11, 2003: The stoning of the Devil ritual claimed 14 pilgrims’ lives.
    February 1, 2004: 251 pilgrims were killed and another 244 injured in a stampede during the stoning ritual in Mina.
    January 12, 2006: A stampede during the stoning of the Devil on the last day of the Hajj in Mina killed at least 346 pilgrims and injured at least 289 more. The incident occurred shortly after 13:00 local time, when a busload of travelers arrived together at the eastern access ramps to the Jamaraat Bridge. This caused pilgrims to trip, rapidly resulting in a lethal stampede. An estimated two million people were performing the ritual at the time.

    September 24, 2015: At least 2,236 pilgrims were killed during a stampede. The Saudi government is yet to release an official report. A few weeks after the incident, the Saudi Vice Minister of Health officially announced 4,173 people dead in this incident in a press release,however, this page was removed from the website within three hours and requesting it would redirect the visitor to the home page. The Saudi Health Minister claimed that the published death toll was false in a Twitter post. Fars News, a semi-official news agency of Iran, provided a walkthrough video to accessing the page assuming it was out of reach due to high page requests. An AP report compiled from official reports and statements totaled the deaths at at least 1,470, over 700 more than the figures from Saudi authorities, and the worst toll so far in Mecca. The AP later updated its estimate to 2,411 pilgrims killed.

    More brotherhood at Hajj: Of late, pickpocketing has created numerous problems for Hajj pilgrims. According to the Save Madina Foundation, 321 were victims of pickpocketing during Hajj in 2010.

    Still more brotherhood at Hajj: July 31, 1987: A clash between Iranian demonstrators and Saudi security forces brought death to more than 400 pilgrims and injury to thousands more.

    July 9, 1989: Two bombs exploded, killing one pilgrim and wounding another 16. Saudi authorities executed 16 Kuwaiti Shia Muslims for the bombings after originally suspecting Iranian agents.
    —————————————–
    Brotherhood of non-racist Islam alert:
    Ibn Khaldun (1332 – 1406) the pre-eminent Islamic medieval historian wrote: “The Negro nations are as a rule submissive to slavery, because they have attributes that are quite similar to dumb animals.”

    “Ham (Africans) begat all those who are black and curly haired, while Japheth (Turks) begat all those who were full faced with small eyes, and Shem (Arabs) begat everyone who is handsome of face with beautiful hair. Noah prayed that the hair of Ham’s descendants would not grow beyond their ears, and that whenever their descendants met Shem’s, the latter would enslave them.” Tabari 11:21

    “Arabs are the most noble people in lineage, the most prominent, and the best in deeds. We were the first to respond to the call of the Prophet. We fight people until they believe in Allah. He who believes in Allah and His Messenger has protected his life and possessions from us. As for one who disbelieves, we will fight him forever in Allah’s Cause. Killing him is small matter to us.” Tabari IX:69

    NO fucking racism here. No Arab supremacism. No call to murder disbelievers. To add to the inherent Muslim on Muslim cannibalism since the time of Muhammad, on splendid display every Hajj. How did those Rightly Guided Caliphs die again? At the hands of equally pious Muslims?

    Brotherhood of man alert: the Arabic word ‘abd’ is synonymous with slave; all black people are called “abeed” plural for slaves. At least 28 million Africans were enslaved in the Muslim Middle East.  Since at least 80% of those captured by Muslim slave traders were calculated to have died before reaching the slave markets, it is believed that the death toll from 1400 years of Muslim slave raids into Africa could have been over 112 million.  

    Muhammad’s non-racism: “Narrated Anas bin Malik: Allah’s messenger said, ‘You should listen to and obey your Imam (Muslim ruler), even if he was an Ethiopian (black) slave whose head looks like a raisin.’” Vol. 9, Bk. 89, No. 256 and Vol. 1, Bk. 11, No. 662

    Who had black slaves: Umar b. Al-Khattab came to Muhammad’s house and found that, “A black slave of Allah’s Apostle was sitting on the first step.” Vol. 6, Bk. 60, No. 435

    Who indicated they were people of hell: Narrated AbudDarda’
    Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: Allah created Adam when He had to create him and He struck his right shoulder and there emitted from it white offspring as if they were white ants. He struck his left shoulder and there emitted from it THE BLACK OFFSPRINGS as if they were charcoal. He then said (to those who had been emitted) from the right (shoulder): For Paradise and I do not mind. Then He said to those (who had been emitted) from his left shoulder: They are for Hell and I do not mind.
    Transmitted by Ahmad. (Al-Tirmidhi Hadith, Number 38- ALIM CD ROM Version)

    Or Satan himself: “The apostle said, “Whoever wants to see Satan let him take a look at Nabtal b. al-Harith!” He was a sturdy black man with long flowing hair, inflamed eyes, and dark ruddy cheeks. He used to come and talk to the apostle and listen to him and then carry what he had said to the hypocrites. It was he who said: “Muhammad is all ears: if anyone tells him anything he believes it.” God sent down concerning him: “And of them are those who annoy the prophet and say he is all ears, Say: Good ears for you. He believes in God and trusts the believers and is a mercy for those of you who believe; and those who annoy the apostle of God for them there is a painful punishment.” (Sura 9:61) (Ibn Ishaq, Sirat Rasulallah, translated as, The Life of Muhammad by A. Guillaume, page 243)

    • gravenimage says

      Jan 29, 2016 at 4:07 pm

      Excellent post, Jack. Islam is *intrinsically* racist and violent–there is nothing similar in Christianity.

  16. Greyson says

    Jan 28, 2016 at 3:19 am

    This discussion is ridiculous. Every country has limits on what is shown to minors. The French aren’t “banning the film from the public”. They are simply putting an age requirement on it, which is done in American theaters every day. It will be widely shown online and in video release, so what is the big deal? A twelve or fifteen or seventeen year old mind cannot process everything an adult can.

    • Jack Diamond says

      Jan 28, 2016 at 11:10 am

      They are effectively banning it from cinemas and public television by putting it in the category of hard-core pornography. Ideas. Depicting the truth of Islam and its teachings, from the “horse’s mouth”, is now pornography. Why are they afraid it will recruit young Muslims to the jihad since officially this “violent extremism” has nothing to do with real Islam? As if the young Muslims aren’t seeing all this on the Internet (and hearing it in their mosques). Then, to appease their Muslims and the PC-EU culture they must protect the under-18 infidel children from hearing these things, the ones who will most need to defend themselves and their civilization from it. You know, the 12-to-17 year old minds devouring pornography on the Internet every night. It is dhimmitude and cowardice only. Fear disguised as respect. The new normal.

    • gravenimage says

      Jan 29, 2016 at 4:13 pm

      Greyson, French authorities are effectively giving this film and “X-rating” instead of an “R-rating”–that means few theaters will even carry it. Your assumption that this is the norm in France is quite mistaken.

FacebookYoutubeTwitterLog in

Subscribe to the Jihad Watch Daily Digest

You will receive a daily mailing containing links to the stories posted at Jihad Watch in the last 24 hours.
Enter your email address to subscribe.

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!
If you are forwarding to a friend, please remove the unsubscribe buttons first, as they my accidentally click it.

Subscribe to all Jihad Watch posts

You will receive immediate notification.
Enter your email address to subscribe.
Note: This may be up to 15 emails a day.

Donate to JihadWatch
FrontPage Mag

Search Site

Translate

The Team

Robert Spencer in FrontPageMag
Robert Spencer in PJ Media

Articles at Jihad Watch by
Robert Spencer
Hugh Fitzgerald
Christine Douglass-Williams
Andrew Harrod
Jamie Glazov
Daniel Greenfield

Contact Us

Terror Attacks Since 9/11

Archives

  • 2020
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2019
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2018
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2017
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2016
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2015
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2014
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2013
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2012
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2011
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2010
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2009
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2008
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2007
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2006
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2005
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2004
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2003
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • March

All Categories

You Might Like

Learn more about RevenueStripe...

Recent Comments

  • Crusades Were Right on New study reveals that Muslim religiosity strongly linked to hatred towards the West
  • Naildriver on Uighur leader: ‘We’re actually quite worried’ about what Biden might let China get away with
  • Crusades Were Right on Canadian Mental Health Association studies Muslim women’s mental health due to ‘discrimination’ and ‘hate crimes’
  • Crusades Were Right on Muslim cleric: ‘We welcomed the takeover of ISIS because they wanted to implement the Sharia’
  • curious george on Israel At A Crossroads?

Popular Categories

dhimmitude Sharia Jihad in the U.S ISIS / Islamic State / ISIL Iran Free Speech

Robert Spencer FaceBook Page

Robert Spencer Twitter

Robert Spencer twitter

Robert Spencer YouTube Channel

Books by Robert Spencer

Jihad Watch® is a registered trademark of Robert Spencer in the United States and/or other countries - Site Developed and Managed by Free Speech Defense

Content copyright Jihad Watch, Jihad Watch claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to their respective owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and you do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.

Our mailing address is: David Horowitz Freedom Center, P.O. Box 55089, Sherman Oaks, CA 91499-1964

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.