ATHENS Roger Garaudy violated the taboo and criticized Israel. He was absolutely aware of the consequences. He knew how far Zionists control the French media. The Zionist campaign was aimed at stopping a newly-born phenomenon that rebels against the historical conspiracy which twisted historical facts, Salma Garaudy, the Palestinian wife of the French Muslim intellectual, told Egyptian paper Al-Ahram weekly. Zionist associations used excessive pressure, including death threats, to force Garaudy to give up his anti-Zionist opinions.

Bookshops refused to stock and display his books. He has no access to mainstream French media. Ever since Garaudy's controversial book, The Founding Myths of Israeli Politics came out, violence has occurred in bookshops that are known to sell it. A Greek bookstore in Athens was attacked by armed hoodlums for openly selling the Greek edition of the book. Of the five major Greek television channels, only one referred briefly to the attack, Salma noted.

A similar attack occurred in Paris at a bookshop known to sell Garaudy books. Garaudy was supposed to speak to foreign press correspondents, but the meeting was delayed. Finally, the interview was given in a hotel but no French national TV networks showed any interest in it. While Garaudy was being investigated before a Paris criminal court for his book, The Founding Myths of Israeli Politics his wife Salma was signing a contract in Cairo to publish the book in Arabic, said Al-Ahram. Concerning the lack of reaction from human rights organizations in the West, Salma Garaudy said one should not rely on those organizations to regain his rights.

No single body was formed in Europe to support her husband, Salma stressed. (IRNA)