Nov 27, 2024
Solidarity with Maboula Soumahoro
The following letter, addressed to the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, was originally published in French on Libération. Written by a collective of intellectuals, academics, and activists, it calls for the rescheduling of Maboula Soumahoro’s conference on anti-racism, which was unjustly canceled following pressure from far-right groups.
Read the full text below and SIGN THE PETITION.
“Madame President,
It is with dismay and horror that we learned of the postponement of a roundtable discussion organized by the Directorate-General for Personnel of the European Parliament, dedicated to the fight against racism, to which French academic Madame Maboula Soumahoro had been invited. In a global context marked by the rise of hateful ideologies and rejection of others, this roundtable offered to the staff of the European Parliament symbolized an effort toward dialogue and mutual understanding. However, under pressure from far-right groups within the European Parliament, this event has been deferred and now risks being canceled. Has the far-right gained the power to censor within the European Parliament, preventing free and open discussions among its members?
One might think so, and this is cause for legitimate concern. In less than 24 hours, these groups managed to achieve their aim, under the pretext that they are now—contrary to their historical positions—the defenders of anti-racism, equality, and workplace inclusion within the European Parliament. Yet, let us not insult anyone’s intelligence by pretending to ignore that these far-right parties are the heirs of the darkest legacies of racism on the European continent and continue to propagate dangerous identity-based ideologies. This is more than a reversal of accusations; it represents a trampling of the values upon which Europe rebuilt itself after the Second World War.
The arguments put forward to discredit Madame Maboula Soumahoro are based on no tangible evidence, as demonstrated in an article published by the French newspaper Mediapart on November 21, 2024. A teacher and researcher, Madame Maboula Soumahoro is an internationally recognized expert on issues related to racism and discrimination—precisely why she was invited. Since the postponement of this conference, she has been subjected to an online harassment campaign, as well as a wave of hatred and threats that endanger her physical safety.
We are deeply convinced that, beyond Madame Maboula Soumahoro herself, this backlash targets scholars and intellectuals addressing racial and discrimination issues, particularly when they belong to minority groups.
As French and European citizens, we expect the European Parliament to stand as a bulwark against the fantasies and disinformation propagated by extremist voices. We cannot accept that the Europe in which we live and work becomes a symbol of a new intellectual, human, and moral surrender with potentially deadly consequences.
To us, the European Parliament is a sacred space for truth and must ensure the conditions for genuinely democratic debates that seek to improve the future of European peoples.
For these reasons, we urge you, Madam President, to strongly support initiatives dedicated to combating racism, anti-Semitism, and discrimination, and to reschedule Madame Maboula Soumahoro’s conference, which belongs fully within this shared institution.
We thank you for your attention and respectfully remain,
Yours sincerely,
Audrey Célestine, historian and political scientist, Myriam Cottias, historian, Rokhaya Diallo, author and filmmaker, Tara Dickman, lecturer and trainer, Alice Diop, filmmaker, Penda Diouf, author and director, Eva Doumbia, author and director, Nadia Yala Kisukidi, philosopher and writer, Grace Ly, author, and Mame-Fatou Niang, senior lecturer.”
Photo by Patricia Khan.
