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Hollande Awarded Peace Prize for Invading and Subjugating Muslim West Africa ! Shame !

By Hassan El-Najjar

June 5, 2013

The French President, Francois Hollande, received a "peace" prize for his invasion of Mali to, which pre-empted a West African Islamic movement and prevented it from expanding to other Muslim countries in the region.

 In addition to guarding the French  imperialist interests, particularly in uranium, Hollande did an important service to the rulers of the Zionist Empire, who are hell-bent in subjugating Muslims and in keeping them under their control.

It's amazing that Hollande is awarded with a "peace" prize, when he is in fact a killer of innocent Muslims!

Shame on those in UNESCO who gave him the award!

Shame!

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French President Hollande awarded Felix Houphouet-Boigny Peace Prize for action in Africa

PARIS, June 5, 2013 (Xinhua) --

French President Francois Hollande was granted the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Peace Prize on Wednesday by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in recognition of his peace efforts in Africa.

During the awarding ceremony held at the headquarters in Paris, the UNESCO highly commended Hollande for taking action to end the control of insurgents in northern Mali and bring peace and stability to the region.

In January 2013, Hollande authorised a French-led operation to secure regions in northern Mali that had been captured by rebels. The conflict in the area caused significant damage and destruction to the country's priceless cultural heritage, including in Timbuktu, famous for its World Heritage-listed historic center and a large collection of centuries-old Islamic manuscripts.

In February, Hollande, together with UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and Malian President Dioncounda Traore paid a visit to the site in northern Mali.

"What was targeted in Timbuktu was not just the heritage of one region or people, it was World Heritage," said Bokova during the award ceremony.

"All of us have reason to be proud of France's decision to stand by Mali - at the request of President Traore and with the support of the United Nations - to protect the peoples and culture of that country," said Bokova.

For the Director-General protecting heritage is about building a culture of peace. "Culture is not just about monuments," she stated. "Protecting culture means protecting people, giving them the strength and confidence to rebuild and to look into the future."

"The Jury appreciated the solidarity shown by France to the peoples of Africa," said the Jury's President Joaquim Chissano. The Jury therefore made the decision on Feb. 2, 2013 to award the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Peace Prize to Hollande "for his great contribution to peace and stability in Africa."

Traore expressed his gratitude to Hollande.

Hollande was presented with a peace diploma, a gold medal, and 150,000 U.S. dollars. He will donate the money to two charities, one to support women in Africa and one to assist war veterans.

In his acceptance speech, Hollande praised the strength of UNESCO's work and hailed its dedication in promoting cultural and social progress, saying "So, receiving the Houphouet-Boigny prize here at UNESCO takes on a special meaning."

Hollande also underscored the urgency of the French operation in Mali. "In the face of hatred, we had to intervene ... Any delay would have been disastrous ... It was for the women and children of Africa that France intervened," he stated.

Created in 1989, the Houphouet-Boigny Peace Prize is intended to honor individuals or organizations that have made a significant contribution to promoting, seeking, safeguarding or maintaining peace.

Hollande joins a list of illustrious past laureates that includes Nelson Mandela, Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, Yasser Arafat and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

A number of leaders of West Africa and countries of the Sahel region attended the ceremony.

Editor: Mu Xuequan