Controversial French writer Houellebecq probed over comments on Muslims

PARIS: Controversial French writer Michel Houellebecq was placed under formal investigation on Tuesday on suspicion of complicity in incitement to discrimination, hatred or violence, a source close to the case told AFP.

Houellebecq, 70, is arguably France’s most famous writer internationally, but has grown increasingly controversial as his pessimistic views on the decline of Western civilization are seen as aligning with the ascendant far-right.

The investigation concerns comments about Muslims published in 2022 in Front Populaire magazine.

In the interview with philosopher Michel Onfray, the author of “Submission” described Muslims as a threat to the security of French people.

“What the native French population, as they say, wants is not for Muslims to assimilate but for them to stop stealing from and attacking them,” Houellebecq said.