TV Host Slams Saleh Farhoud, Presented as Head of Egyptian Community in Paris, for Anti-Christian Remarks

Following are excerpts from a phone interview with Saleh Farhoud, head of the Egyptian community in Paris, which aired on Al-Hayat TV and was posted on the Internet on April 14, 2014.

TV host Moataz Al-Demerdash: Let’s go now to Paris, and try to obtain more details about the arrest of [former Egyptian minister of finance] Youssef Boutros Ghali. I have with me Mr. Saleh Farhoud, head of the Egyptian community in Paris.

Good evening, Saleh. I’m sure you have more information.

Saleh Farhoud: Good evening, Moataz.

Moataz Al-Demerdash: Welcome, welcome. What information do you have?

Saleh Farhoud: We are very happy. We hope that all the [Mubarak] regime officials who fled Egypt will be arrested, just like Boutros Ghali was arrested today.

I said once it was inconceivable that a minister... A Christian cannot be in charge of the treasury. It must be held by a Muslim.

Moataz Al-Demerdash: No, no, Saleh. I don’t like what I’m hearing. With all due respect. You cannot issue religious rulings on air. I don’t accept that. There’s no difference between a Christian...

Saleh Farhoud: But when it comes to the treasury...

Moataz Al-Demerdash: We are all Egyptians. Don’t say such things, I won’t have it. Besides, I wasn’t asking you about him because he is a Christian. I was asking about a wanted Egyptian man, who fled the country. I wasn’t asking you about his religion, brother.

The line was disconnected.

This sectarian, fanatical rhetoric is abnormal. This is a man who lives in Paris, no less. He heads the Eygptian community in the land of liberties. He still hasn’t realized that in those countries there is a thing called religion tolerance and acceptance of the other. He uses such language in the media?! This language is unacceptable. It’s not nice at all. We don’t accept such language on our show.

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