actress attacked for "insulting" Muslim men

Feminist actress attacked in Paris

By John Lichfield in Paris

Saturday, 16 January 2010

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Police launched a terrorism investigation in Paris yesterday after two men tried to set fire to an Algerian feminist playwright and actress.

The attackers sprayed Rayhana, known only by her first name, with petrol and threw a lit cigarette in her face. The petrol did not ignite, possibly because of the extreme cold.

Rayhana, 45, is appearing in and directing her own play about the oppression of women in Algeria. She was walking to a theatre in a north-eastern suburb of the city when she was insulted in Arabic and attacked. A fortnight ago, she was approached in the same area by two men who said: "We know who you are, you miscreant whore. This is a warning."

Detectives are examining the possibility that she was attacked by a radical Islamist group, although her play is equally critical of the treatment of women by radical Islam and secular authorities in Algeria.

A pressure group for the rights of women of North African origin, Ni Putes, Ni Soumises ("neither whores, nor submisssives"), has called for a demonstration of solidarity with Rayhana outside the theatre tonight.

Following the attack, the playwright staggered into an upmarket restaurant but was refused help. She carried on to the theatre, La Maison des Metallos, and took part in that night's performance. Her sell-out play At My Age, I Still Hide To Have A Smoke, is about a group of women who chat about their lives during a visit to a spa, and features unflattering views of Muslim men.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/feminist-actress-attacked-in-paris-1869534.html 

Some standard responses, that you can expect

1) It is a lie

2) It is a Zionist conspiracy

3) She deserves it 

4) Rayhana doesn't know anything about her religion

5)  Rayhana is fake person and it is fabs who is using the name.

6) Women in the west are whores and women of certain religion are  free

response number one –  check!

Petrol attack on actress in Muslim-themed playAn actress was doused with petrol in Paris in an attack thought to be related to her role in a feminist play she wrote about Algerian women. 

By Our Foreign Staff
Published: 6:10PM GMT 15 Jan 2010

The 45-year-old, who goes by the name of Rayhana, said two men approached her while she was walking to the theatre on Tuesday, grabbed her from behind, slapped her face and poured petrol on her. “I could smell the petrol. A flame brushed my hat and then I ran,” she said.

She has since been placed under police protection and the investigation into the attack is being led by the anti-terrorism unit, which has tackled many cases involving Muslim extremists.

Rayhana is starring in At My Age, I Still Hide to Have a Smoke, a play she wrote about a group of women who chat about their lives during a visit to an Algiers spa. The sell-out play features unflattering views on Muslim men.

 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/6998666/Petrol-attack-on-actress-in-Muslim-themed-play.html

Playwright petrol attack handed to terrorist police

Article published on the 2010-01-15 Latest update 2010-01-15 16:33 TU

The Algerian playwright Rayhana said Tuesday night's attack was the first she had suffered in France
AFP / Pierre Verdy

An investigation into an attack in Paris on the Algerian actress and playwright Rayhana has been handed over to anti-terrorist police. The investigators suspect the attack was linked to Rayhana's play, A mon âge, je me cache encore pour fumer, which focuses on the treatment of women in Algeria.

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The 45-year-old was attacked on Tuesday night outside the theatre in Paris where her play is showing. Two men insulted her in Arabic and poured petrol over her. They then threw a cigarette at her, which failed to ignite.

The prefecture of police confirmed what it called an attempted homicide. A judicial source said the preliminary investigation is being launched under the anti-terrorist section of the brigade criminelle, or crime unit.

Covered in petrol, Rayhana performed her play regardless. She has lived in France since 2000, when she left Algeria fearing for her safety. She told the French media it was the first time she had been assualted since she took refuge in France, after leaving Algeria because of threats from Islamists.

Politicians and Muslim associations have expressed horror at the attack. The Minister of Culture Frédéric Mitterrand expressed sympathy and said he admired Rayhana's courage. The Secretary for Urban Affairs Fadela Amara described the incident was intolerable.

The Muslim association Foi et Pratique also joined in the condemnation of the assault, saying "nothing can prepare us for such acts and nothing can explain them".

The French Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers says it is worried that freedom of expression is under threat in France.

The feminist movement Ni putes ni soumises will hold a demonstration tomorrow morning in front of the threatre.  

http://www.rfi.fr/actuen/articles/121/article_6538.asp 

the press of course is exagerating a little bit, and at the some time this actress used this incident to bring more attraction ????

The media always exaggerate things are inherently small. and they do that to get ranked by the largest number of readers and procurement for the magazine or newspaper which publishes these rumors.

So, I don't beleive what the media sometimes says because I know they love to make things inflated.

buterfly, of course that is one consideration. It's possibly a stunt meant to promote her play.

kudos to javamaju

for coming up with all the usual answers.

yes, it makes it so much simpler for some to participate: they can just pick a number. No need for long posts filled with paranoid ramblings. what a time-saver. great job Javaman.