French Academics Demand Minister’s Resignation Over ’Islamo-Leftism’ Comments

"Public higher education and research personnel, doctors and doctorates, doctoral students from the universities, we can only deplore the indigence of Frédérique Vidal, droning the repertoire of the far right on an imaginary ’Islamo-leftism’," they write in a column published Saturday, February 20 by the newspaper Le Monde. Among the signatories of this column are the economist Thomas Piketty, the sociologist Dominique Méda, the historian Mathilde Larrère, or the anthropologist Marianne Lemaire.

"We are outraged by the indignity of what can only be described as a witch hunt," they denounce, stressing that Frédérique Vidal "seizes on the conspiracy theme ’Islamo-leftism’ and "designates us as guilty of rotting the university." "She wants to order an investigation, threatens to divide and punish us, wants to reign over suspicion and fear, and trample on our academic freedoms," lament the academics. For them, "such a minister" is "unworthy" of representing them. That is why, "we strongly demand her resignation," they conclude.