Being a woman of North African origin and expressing yourself frankly on social networks very often means being targeted. And for good reason, for a tweet expressing her disgust, the journalist from Arrêt sur images Nassira El Moaddem is currently the victim of a cyberharassment campaign, which increased tenfold after an RN deputy mentioned it on CNews. This same campaign was amplified by Tweets and a broadcast by Cyril Hanouna and by the far-right collective Némésis, which launched a racist pot.
It all starts with an article from RMC Sport indicating the existence of a letter from the president of the Amateur Football League, sent to the presidents of districts and leagues, which reminds that helmets or tights can only be worn under the rules of the organization after a authorization issued by the Medical Commission of the French Football Federation. A reminder of the FFF’s decision “to prohibit any sign or outfit ostensibly demonstrating political, philosophical, religious or union affiliation during sports competitions”.
A decision that appears as relentlessness in the eyes of journalist Nassira El Moaddem, who expressed her feeling of disgust in a tweet on April 30: “Country of degenerate racists. There are no other words. Shame. »
“If she’s not happy, she leaves”
A cry from the heart like there are thousands on the social network CNews and the RN will rise to the occasion, each becoming the objective ally of the other to take out a journalist of Moroccan origin. The RN deputy Julien Odoul, invited by Jean-Marc Morandini on May 1 in the Morandini Live show on the Bolloré channel, asks the boss of Radio France to “suspend” Nassira El Moaddem – who worked for the public group in 2021 and 2022 but is no longer working there, without this being expressly reminded by the host. “If she’s not happy, she breaks,” adds the elected RN.
The attacks resumed later on the show l’Heure des pros, hosted by Pascal Praud, and the next day on Cyril Hanouna’s set, whose invitation the journalist declined, accusing his show of “being part of the problem by actively participating in the trivialization of the speeches of the racist, Islamophobic extreme right and attacks on freedoms”. All the columnists of the show then attack the journalist, and Cyril Hanouna responds to him on the X networkunleashing his subscribers.
A surge of hatred
The same day, a prize pool is launched by the director of the far-right collective Némésis, also a speaker on CNews, to “offer a plane ticket to Nassira El Moaddem for the country of her choice so that she can leave “France, this country of racists”. A prize pool which was the subject of a report to the prosecutor by a municipal elected official in Ronaison, also a member of the International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism (Licra), Salim Djellab. The elected official noted that there was a “potential offense of inciting hatred”. A complaint is also being drawn up against Nassira El Moaddem this time, from the General Alliance against Racism and for the Respect of French and Christian Identity (far-right association) tells us their lawyer Jérôme Triomphe.
These attacks triggered a surge of hatred, which flooded all of the journalist’s social networks under a deluge of racist messages, sometimes frankly sexist, with explicit threats to his physical integrity. “Look at the frequency of hate messages so that you understand the extent of the harassment campaign initiated by Julien Odoul and CNEWSsometimes several messages received per minute”, tweets the journalist, supporting screenshots of his Messenger account. “I have already received digital raids from the far right but, to this extent, never,” she explains to Release.
A cascade of support
Opposite, many journalists, journalists’ companies and personalities gave their support to Nassira El Moaddem: the society of journalists and staff of Releasethat of Mediapartof Teleramathe Association of anti-racist and racialized journalists, the Prenons la une association (of which the author of this article, who also collaborated with Nassira El Moaddem, is one of the co-founders), the SNJ union or even the president of SOS Racisme, Senator Laurence Rossignol, and multiple academics.
On the other hand, the response of France Inter, directly targeted in the RN attacks, is full of ambiguity. “We have received your messages and understand your reaction,” indicates Thursday morning the direction of the radio to her listeners, assuring that the journalist has “punctually collaborated on two summer series for France Inter » and affirming that his remarks can in “no way” “bind” him. In short, the media provides no support to the journalist and seems to minimize her contribution. A reaction that outraged many people, starting with Nassira El Moaddem herself: “Your text is an absolute shame.” Reactions that led France Inter to modify your answer, which now ends as follows: “We would like to condemn the violent attacks she has suffered in recent hours on social networks. »