Is Tintin a racist?

The British Commission for Racial Equality (CRE), an official organisation that fights racism, called one of the celebrated Tintin comic books, 'Tintin in the Congo', "blatantly racist". The CRE recommended that British bookstores "reflect seriously before selling this comic book." Guy Duplat argues against this advice. "Ah! Classic Albion! Not only do they alienate us by driving on the left, playing better football than we do, and hosting the start of the Tour de France, but, voilà, they're now attacking the most important Belgian symbol: 'Tintin in the Congo'. A hundred years ago, London was criticising Leopold II's [King of Belgium from 1865 to 1909] colonial prowess and wouldn't stop (perhaps with good reason) maligning his African projects. The English prosecution has never stopped, right up to the recent publication of a very well written book accusing our Sovereign of genocide."

» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » Literature, » Public Culture, » United Kingdom, » Belgium
All available articles from » Guy Duplat

» To the complete press review of Friday, July 13, 2007