It has been some rather strange three weeks in France . Since footballer Nicolas Anelka dedicated a goal to his friend , the controversial French comedian Dieudonné , by doing the comedian 's infamous trademark salute , the `` quenelle , '' what some believe is a reverse Nazi salute , during a match for West Bromwich Albion , France has been talking about little else . It is as if the entire public debate has been hijacked by a comedian who , over the last 15 years , has steadily drifted towards more and more extreme behavior and inflammatory speech . Anelka 's gesture suddenly shone the light on a phenomenon that had so far been little known outside France . Now , the world knows that there is more to the `` quenelle '' than the exquisite dish , a creamy mixture of fish and egg , originated from Lyon , France 's gastronomic capital . Dieudonné , 48 , started his career as a comedian in the 1990s , in a duo with Jewish Franco-Moroccan Elie Semoun . They separated in 1997 when Semoun developed a career in cinema . Dieudonné struggled to exist solo and was said to be bitter about his ex-partner 's success and fame . He then entered the realm of French politics , first of all fighting against the extreme right National Front before slowly getting closer to Marine Le Pen 's xenophobic party , alongside extremist Islamists . His shows started focusing almost exclusively on his hatred of Israel and Jews . Condemned many times by the French courts for incitement to hatred , Dieudonné publically defended Iran 's and the Hezbollah 's anti-Semitic rhetoric . Dieudonne himself , who no longer gives interviews to the mainstream media , denies that his act , or la quenelle , is anti-Semitic . He claims through his legal team to be nothing more than a comedian and the victim of unjustified attacks because he stands up for those who are excluded from French society . Each time that the manager of a theater in France has refused to let him use their premises for one of his controversial shows , Dieudonné has threatened legal action . Anelka 's public gesture has had the merit to prompt French Interior Minister Manuel Valls to action and to look into other aspects of the comedian 's personality . It was revealed that Dieudonné has been quietly investigated for money laundering and tax fraud for more than a year . Valls , interviewed on French radio Europe 1 , stated that Dieudonné was trying to declare himself bankrupt in order to avoid paying taxes and fines and that a possible case of money laundering between France and Cameroon was being closely looked at . However , what has divided France is the interior ministry 's advice to the country 's prefects to ban the comedian from performing if they deemed public order at risk . Dieudonné , at the beginning of a national tour , thus received his first ban on Thursday morning ahead of a planned performance in Nantes . His lawyer immediately appealed and an administrative court overturned the ban . The interior minister then appealed to France 's highest jurisdiction which decided to uphold the ban on Thursday evening . A similar legal wrangling is expected to take place in every town where Dieudonné is supposed to perform . French President Francois Hollande weighed in the debate , giving all his support to his Interior minister . So far , France 's public opinion and the media have been split over the issue of the ban . France may not have a First Amendment , but censorship is not considered lightly . There may be an understanding that freedom of speech stops where incitement to hatred begins and the French , in their majority , think that Dieudonné has gone much too far . However , is the ban in danger of giving publicity to Dieudonné ? His shows are now selling fast . Others , such as French philosopher Bernard Henry Levy , argue that Dieudonné ceased long ago to be an artist and that his virulent anti-Semitism should n't be seen as artistic license : `` This is not humor anymore , this is political , '' he said . And why should Dieudonné be indeed treated differently than Marine Le Pen ? The French government is walking a fine line between censorship and the respect of republican values ; it looks however as if it has won the first round against racism .
The interior ministry adviced to ban a controversial comedian from performing if they deemed public order at risk . France may not have a First Amendment , but censorship is not considered lightly , Poirier writes . The government is walking a fine line between censorship and the respect of republican values , she says .