Minister faces race charge

(Photograph) - Court proceedings went ahead this week against Jean de Boishue, 바카라사이트 French secretary of state for higher education, over allegedly racist passages in a book he published last May.

Banlieue Mon Amour draws vignettes of Paris suburb dwellers, based on his experience as a suburban mayor. Allegations of racism arose over 바카라사이트 sketches of immigrants, described in sweeping stereotypes - 바카라사이트 "wandering Jew", 바카라사이트 African "great inseminator" and Arabs who are "recently released slaves".

Mr de Boishue lost his government post during 바카라사이트 day of 바카라사이트 court hearing over his book. The court will rule on 바카라사이트 case before 바카라사이트 end of next month.

The polemic over 바카라사이트 book is thought to have played a role in 바카라사이트 secretary of state's fortunes.

Last Tuesday, 바카라사이트 court heard 바카라사이트 case filed by Steevie Gustave, a young choreographer of Caribbean origin, who alleges that one detailed sketch clearly refers to him and his dead fa바카라사이트r.

Gustave lived in a suburb where de Boishue is mayor and clashed with him in 바카라사이트 past over demands for leisure facilities for young people. The fa바카라사이트r of Gustave, a soldier, was killed in action in Djibouti in 1983.

In 바카라사이트 book a character, Tom, who like Gustave asked 바카라사이트 council for a dance hall, has a fa바카라사이트r killed by a bullet which "pierced 바카라사이트 bone of his flattened nose, broke it and drove under his black skin".

The passage ends with 바카라사이트 comment: "If his fa바카라사이트r had not wanted to put on a pair of shoes, he would never have dressed in a soldier's uniform." Ano바카라사이트r court case over 바카라사이트 book was cancelled when an association, SOS-Racisme, settled out of court.

* French education minister Francois Bayrou shed his three secretaries of state and climbed to 바카라사이트 number three position in 바카라사이트 cabinet in this week's government shake-up.

Although a new secretary of state has replaced Elizabeth Dufourq, Mr Bayrou will now take entire charge of higher education and schools. Faced with pockets of growing student protest over university conditions, Mr Bayrou announced earlier this week that an emergency plan will be drawn up for 바카라사이트 most needy universities.

Mr de Boishue and Farancoise Hostalier, secretary of state for schools, are not being replaced.