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Italian Interior Minister hits back at Thuram

Italian Interior Minister hits back at Thuram

The former Parma and Juventus star and world champion with France from 1998, gave an interview to Famiglia Cristiana about the current development in Italian politics.

“How would I find myself in Salvini’s Italy? Listen, I played in Italy in 2002 when Marie Le Pen challenged Chirac in the elections. I was then ashamed to be French. I told myself, how can this happen? Today, if I were Italian, I would feel the same feeling. I would find it shameful to see my country represented by such a person”.

“But we must not stop at the feeling of shame. We need to reflect and commit ourselves to make things change in a positive way,” he added.

Thuram, 46, originally from Guadeloupe, was one of the most popular French footballers of recent years. An extraordinary defender admired and respected in all the fields he played on. After ending his career, Thuram created a foundation to educate against racism.

“Unfortunately, they invite me to all parts of the world. I say unfortunately because this means that there are many episodes of racism, so many people of good will invite me to speak against discrimination. In a few days I will leave for Peru, because the obviously these problems do not concern only Europe. Then I will go to Sweden. There are many reasons for concern.”

“I am worried first of all because, evidently, I am a black man and I know that racism is not a joke. I am worried because racism is always violent, and many white people are not realizing how dangerous the rise of the extreme right in Europe can be. The first act of racism is to say that the presence of certain people is not legitimate. This is what is said today against many foreigners and the colour of the skin immediately identifies you as a foreigner,” he continued.

“Close to the borders? It is a temptation to say: the world is ours, only of us Europeans. It is a dangerous temptation, like a world in which males have to rule over women and all others, deciding also on behalf of others. Racism also arises from these closures, from the desire not to share the riches of the world. It seems that immigration is Europe’s biggest problems, but perhaps there is a whole world economic system that must be questioned.”

This interview has not escaped the attention of the Minister of Interior and vice premier of Italy Matteo Salvini who shared the article on Twitter and wrote: “Luxembour, Belgium and now France… Now it’s official: even in the rest of Europe, it is Salvini’s fault.”