France: Sarkozy stirs controversy with 'Muslim-looking' blunder

France: Sarkozy stirs controversy with 'Muslim-looking' blunder

Via Storyful:
French President Nicolas Sarkozy got himself into hot water on Monday morning when he spoke of a ‘Muslim appearance’ in a radio interview. His remark unleashed a Twitter storm as thousands of people questioned the idea of a physical look to identify Muslims. Many called Sarkozy’s remarks racist.

He made his blunder in a radio interview with public radio station France Info, as he dismissed claims by Front National leader Marine Le Pen that unchecked immigration was to blame for the recent killings in Toulouse. Sarkozy said the claim that immigration resulted in people like gunman Mohamed Merah entering France was nonsensical, before adding that two of soldiers he shot were, “how shall we say, Muslims, at least in appearance, since one was Catholic”".

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