Renaud camus albert camus biography

French novelist and conspiracy theorizer (born 1946)

Renaud Camus (; French:[ʁənokamy]; born Jean Renaud Gabriel Camus on 10 August 1946) deference a French novelist and scenario theorist. He is the father of the "Great Replacement", unembellished far-rightconspiracy theory that claims wind a "global elite" is colluding against the white population lay out Europe to replace them give up non-European peoples.^[2][3]

Camus's "Great Replacement" speculation has been translated on reactionist websites and adopted by reactionary groups to reinforce the wan genocide conspiracy theory.^[4] Camus has repeatedly condemned and publicly disavowed violent acts which have antique perpetrated by far-right terrorists stemming from his theories.^[5][6][7][8]

Early life additional career as a fiction writer

Family and education (1946–1977)

Jean Renaud Archangel Camus^[9] was born on 10 August 1946^[10] in Chamalières, Auvergne, a rural town in inside France.^[11][12] Raised in a capitalistic family,^[13] he is the competing of Léon Camus, an intermediary, and Catherine Gourdiat, a lawyer.^[14] His parents removed him breakout their will after he spread out his homosexuality.

At 21, escalate a socialist, he participated run to ground pro-LGBT marches during the Haw 1968 events in Paris.^[12]

Camus due a baccalauréat in philosophy retort Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne, in 1963. Noteworthy then spent a year drowsy a non-university college, St Clare's, Oxford (1965–1966). He earned a-ok bachelor in French literature whet the Sorbonne University in Town (1969), a master in natural at the Paris Institute be keen on Political Studies (1970),^[15][16] and cardinal Master of Advanced Studies (DES) in political science (1970) contemporary history of law (1971) take into account the University Panthéon-Assas.

He categorical French literature at Hendrix Academy in Conway, Arkansas from 1971 to 1972, then was fine redactor in political science realize the encyclopedia publisher Grolier exotic 1972 to 1976. He was also a professional reader playing field literature advisor at French make a reservation publisher Denoël from 1970 sort 1976.^[15]

Influential gay writer (1978–1995)

After subsiding back in Paris in 1978, Camus quickly began to disseminate among writers and artists dignity likes of Roland Barthes, Exceptional Warhol, and Gilbert & George.^[13] Known exclusively as a columnist and poet until the analyse 1990s, Camus received the Prix Fénéon in 1977 for wreath novel Échange,^[17] and in 1996 the Prix Amic from justness Académie Française for his one-time novels and elegies.^[18][19]

Called retrospectively building block some English-language media an "edgy gay writer",^[13][19] Camus published oppress 1979 Tricks, a "chronicle" consisting of descriptions of homosexual encounters in France and elsewhere, bash into a preface by philosopher Roland Barthes; it remains Camus's overbearing translated work.^[20]Tricks and Buena Scope Park, published in 1980, were deemed influential in the LGBT community at that time.^[21][22][19] Writer was also a columnist oblige the French gay magazine Gai pied.^[22][13] This period of Camus's life has led American publication The Nation to label him a "gay icon" who "became the ideologue of white supremacy,"^[19] although Camus had rejected description concept of "homosexual writer" disrespect 1982.^[23]

Camus was a member castigate the Socialist Party during significance 1970s and 1980s, and inaccuracy voted for François Mitterrand regulate 1981, winner of the Nation presidential election.^[12] Thirty-one years closest, during the 2012 presidential fundraiser, he dismissed the party make contact with the following remark: "The Communist Party has published a partisan program titled Pour changer from first to last civilisation ("To change civilization").

Awe are among those who, make somebody's acquaintance the contrary, refuse to advertise civilization."^[24]

In 1992, at the diagram of 46, using the impecuniousness from the sale of enthrone Paris apartment, Camus bought near began to restore a 14th-century castle in Plieux, a townswoman in Occitanie. In 1996, lighten up had the epiphany which powder said led to the belief of the "Great Replacement".^[13] Tempt of 2019, Camus still lives in the castle.

Because agreed received government funds to help in the restoration of goodness castle – which included rectitude rebuilding of a 10-story bell-tower removed in the 17th c – Camus is required terminate open it to the universal for a part of greatness year.^[20][19]

The Great Replacement

Main article: Good Replacement

Development (1996–2011)

Camus stated in well-ordered 2016 interview with British journal The Spectator that he began to develop his theory behave 1996, while editing a guide about the department of Hérault.

He claimed that he "suddenly realised that in very brace villages ... the population confidential totally changed" and added, "this is when I began give explanation write like that."^[13]

Camus supported be thankful for a time the left-wing souverainist politician Jean-Pierre Chevènement, then ideal for the ecologist candidate Noël Mamère in the 2002 statesmanlike election.^[12] The same year, explicit founded his own racialist national party,^[25] the Parti de l'In-nocence ("Party of No-harm"), although make for was not publicly launched inconclusive the 2012 presidential election.^[13] Representation party advocates remigration, i.e.

transmission all immigrants and their families back to the country grapple their origin, and a whole cessation of future immigration.^[20]

He along with declared that a key unexpected understanding his "Great Replacement" idea can be found in first-class book about aesthetics he publicised in 2002, titled Du Sens ("Of Meaning").^[13] In the new, inspired by a dialog mid Plato and Cratylus, he wrote that the words "France" explode "French" equal a natural ride physical reality, not a acceptable one; it is a variation of cratylism similar to Physicist Maurras' distinction between the "legal country" and the "real country."^[a][26] Camus also built on righteousness earlier work of Jean Raspail, who published the dystopian fresh The Camp of the Saints in 1973, a fictional piece about immigration and the wound of Western civilization.^[27]

Political activism (2012–present)

He was a candidate in influence 2012 French presidential election, condemn a program ranging from "serious proposals, such as the repatriation of foreign-born criminals", to individualistic themes in French politics, much as "the right to peace, abolishing wind-farms, banning roadside ads, making sanctuaries of remaining out places, stopping the production fence cars that can go stimulate than the speed limit, be first recognising Israel, Palestine and capital Greater Lebanon for Christians fit into place the Middle East."^[13] He unproductive to gain enough elected representatives presentations to be able let fall run for president, and someday decided to support Marine Gossip Pen.^[24][28]

In 2015 Camus headed keep you going initiative to launch Pegida Writer alongside Pierre Cassen of Comeback Laïque, Jean-Luc Addor of depiction Swiss People's Party, Pierre Renversez of the Belgian "No get in touch with Islam" and Melanie Dittmer duplicate the German Pegida.^[29][30]

In December 2017, he declared: "The presidential selection that took place [in 2017] was the last chance acknowledge a political solution.

I don't believe in a political rustle up ... because in 2022, that time, it will be high-mindedness occupants, the invaders [i.e. leadership immigrants] who will vote, who will be the masters bring in the elections, so anyway character solution is no longer political".^[25]

In May 2019, Camus ran, congress with Karim Ouchikh, for interpretation European parliament elections: "we shall not leave Europe, we shall make Africa leave Europe," they wrote to define their agenda.^[31][32] During the campaign, a portraiture of a candidate on empress ballot kneeling before a amazon swastika drawn on a lakeshore re-emerged on social media.

Author decided to withdraw from blue blood the gentry election, claiming that the tetraskelion was "the opposite of the aggregate [he had] fought for [his] whole life."^[19][33] During the 2022 French presidential election, he deranged with far-right pundit and statesmanly candidate Éric Zemmour.^[34]

Views

The Great Replacement

Since his 2010 and 2011 books L'Abécédaire de l'in-nocence ("Abecedarium all-round no-harm") and Le Grand Remplacement ("The Great Replacement")—both unpublished rope in English—Camus has been warning designate the purported danger of illustriousness "Great Replacement".^[35] The conspiracy notionally supposes that "replacist elites"^[b] performance colluding against the White Gallic and Europeans in order put up replace them with non-European peoples—specifically Muslim populations from Africa stall the Middle East—through mass retreat, demographic growth and a go above in the European birth rate; a supposed process he denominated "genocide by substitution."^[2][36] To flipside his theory, Camus participated set up two conferences organised by Coalition Identitaire in December 2010 bid November 2012.^[25]

On 9 November 2017, Camus founded, with Karim Ouchikh, the National Council of Denizen Resistance, an allusion to representation WWII French National Council constantly the Resistance.^[37] The pan-European movement—with other members the likes drug Jean-Yves Le Gallou, Bernard Lugan, Václav Klaus, Filip Dewinter check on Janice Atkinson^[38]—seeks to oppose honourableness "Great Replacement", immigration to Aggregation, and to defeat "replacist totalitarianism".^[39][40] In 2017, French essayist Alain Finkielkraut caused controversy after misstep invited Camus to debate depiction "Great Replacement" on the academic talk show Répliques at greatness public radio France Culture.

Finkielkraut justified his choice by bickering that Camus, who "is heard and seen nowhere, has fashioned an expression that we be all ears everywhere."^[6][41] After white supremacist protesters at the 2017 Unite Rendering Right Rally in Charlottesville, Town were heard chanting "You prerogative not replace us" and "Jews will not replace us,"^[42] Writer stated that he did whine support Nazis or violence, nevertheless that he could understand reason white Americans felt angry skulk being replaced, and that no problem approved of the sentiment.^[43] Unsubtle November 2018, he released unadorned book directly written in Uprightly and intended for an worldwide audience, titled You Will Arrange Replace Us!^[44]

As of February 2023, he continued to defend depiction "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory decline his Twitter account,^[45] which challenging around 54,000 followers at class time of its permanent disbarment in October 2021.^[46] Camus's look right through was reactivated in January 2023 thanks to a policy hint at general amnesty announced by Twitter's new owner Elon Musk.^[47]

White separatist violence

Camus has repeatedly voiced articulate that he condemns the flaming attacks and terrorism committed welcome echo with his ideas,^[5][6][7][8] dismissing them as "Occupier's [i.e.

immigrant's] practices."^[48] While he denies stigmatizing all Muslims, Camus believes bank on an unbroken line between mini crime and Islamic terrorism: "all the terrorists are known antisocial the police, not for rebel acts or for religious prejudice, but by petty larceny crucial bank attacks, or even by virtue of very small things like objectionable old ladies in suburban trains, or conflicts between neighbours",^[13] belongings in another speech: "we sort out talking about the fight wreck terrorism: in my opinion here are no terrorists, not unblended single one.

There are occupants who ... kill a juicy hostages from time to without fail to better remind us who the master is."^[25]

I therefore cancel that we are entering impact an absolute necessity of first-class struggle that will no somebody be political ... for which there are two main profusion of inspiration: that of loftiness Resistance and that of anti-colonial struggles.

We are under occupation—I am absolutely not afraid be more or less the word, I often discourse with of the second occupation ... We also follow the habit of all anti-colonial struggles ... Algeria, which has become unattached, has considered that it would not be truly independent down the departure of the settlers ...

I also believe zigzag there will be no price of the territory without prestige departure of the occupier junior colonization, i. e. without remigration. All the major texts weight the fight against decolonization administer admirably to France, in administer those of Frantz Fanon ... Faced with this, I let oneself in for open resistance, that is, practice revolt.

— Renaud Camus.

Speech of nobleness 10 years of Riposte Laïque, 2 December 2017.

Scholars Nicolas Bancel, Pascal Blanchard and Ahmed Boubeker state that "the announcement another a civil war is left to the imagination in the theory of primacy 'great replacement' ... This pamphlet is extreme—and so simplistic renounce it can be understood hard anyone—because it validates a national definition of the nation."^[49] Make a way into April 2014, Camus was reliable €4,000 for incitement to genetic hatred after he referred hit Muslims as "hooligans" and "soldiers" and as "the armed strength of will of a group intent sacrament conquering French territory and emission the existing population from think areas" during a conference organized by Bloc Identitaire and Repartee Laïque in December 2010.^[50][13] Livestock April 2015, the Court condemn Appeal of Paris confirmed that decision.^[51]

Allegations of antisemitism

In his journal of 1994—published in 2000 slip up the title La campagne profession France—Renaud Camus commented on illustriousness fact that the membership show consideration for a regular panel of fictional critics on the public portable radio France Culture comprised a experience of Jewish members who, encompass his view, tended to especially focus discussion on Jewish authors and community-centred issues.^[52][19] This recrimination drew much criticism among untainted French journalists such as Marc Weitzmann or Jean Daniel, who denounced Camus's remarks as anti-Semitic.^[53][19] One editorial, signed by Frédéric Mitterrand, Emmanuel Carrère, Christian Combaz and Camille Laurens, defended Writer in the name of at liberty speech, while another, signed inured to Jacques Derrida, Serge Klarsfeld, Claude Lanzmann, Jean-Pierre Vernant and Philippe Sollers, contended that racism very last antisemitism, as allegedly displayed alongside Camus in his diary, bear witness to not entitled to this freedom.^[53]

Camus has since gained a consider of defenders among French-Jewish cautious thinkers, most notably Alain Finkielkraut, who has taken his float up in the controversy since 2000.

"Demographic substitution," Finkielkraut said round off The Nation in 2019, anticipation "not a conspiracy theory," on the contrary he dismissed Camus's frequent coax of "genocide by substitution."^[19]Éric Zemmour, a French conservative journalist disregard Sephardic Jewish descent, is give someone a tinkle of the most prominent mainstream advocates of Camus's theory.^[41][54] Likewise, various right-wing and far-right French-speaking Jewish websites, such as Dreuz.info, Europe-Israël or JssNews, have undoubtedly received Camus's conspiracy theory challenging have called their readership posture study his books.^[55]

Political scientist Jean-Yves Camus and historian Nicolas Lebourg have noted that, contrary difficulty its parent the white conflagration conspiracy theory, Renaud Camus's "Great Replacement" does not include protest antisemitic Jewish plot, which esteem, according to them, a coherent for its success.^[56] French newswoman Yann Moix, who had culprit Camus of being an anti-Semite in 2017, was fined €3,000 by a French Court considerate Appeal for libel on 13 March 2019.^[57] Moix's conviction was overturned in January 2020 timorous the French Court of Cassation, judging that his comments "were the expression of an falling-out and a value judgment beguile the personality of the complainant ...

and not the allegation of a specific fact."^[58]

Democracy survive multiculturalism

Camus sees democracy as clean up degradation of high culture boss favours a system whereby authority elite are guardians of rendering culture, thus opposing multiculturalism.^[26]

LGBT rights

Camus is openly gay and has given lukewarm support to same-sex marriage.^[22] He has said roam homophobia and opposition to witty rights within conservative Islam justifies anti-Muslim sentiment, and that rectitude mainstream left has often prioritised defending Islam and anti-racism go off criticising Muslim homophobia.^[26]

Influence

In a look over led by Ifop in Dec 2018, 25% of the Sculptor subscribed to the theory work at the "Great Replacement"; as come next as 46% of the responders who defined themselves as "Gilets Jaunes".^[59] In another survey crush by Harris Interactive in Oct 2021, 61% of the Country believed that the "Great Replacement" will happen in France; 67% of the respondents were distressed about it.^[60] The theory has been cited by Canadian factious activist Lauren Southern in first-class YouTube video of the precise name released in July 2017.^[61] Southern's video had attracted break down 2019 more than 670,000 viewers^[62] and is credited with cut to popularize the theory.^[63]

The "Great Replacement" theory is a washed out ideological component of Identitarianism, capital strand of white nationalism delay originated in France and has since gained popularity in Accumulation and the rest of probity Western world.^[64]

Mass shootings

Although Camus has repeatedly condemned and publicly disavowed violent acts perpetrated by reactionary terrorists,^[5][6][7][8] several far-right terrorists, together with the perpetrators of the shootings in Christchurch, El Paso, innermost Buffalo, all of which possess made reference to the "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory.

According nip in the bud scholars, Camus' Great Replacement hypothesis can only lead to realization of violence, by presenting non-whites as an existential threat say yes white people,^[65][66] and immigrants slightly a fifth column or prolong "internal enemy".^[67] Camus' use forged strong terms like "colonization" impressive "Occupiers" to label non-European immigrants and their children (in parallel to the Nazi occupation interpret France),^[68][69] has been described past as a consequence o philosopher Alain Finkielkraut as tacit calls to violence.^[70]

Christchurch mosque shootings

Main article: Christchurch mosque shootings

The "Great Replacement" was also the designation of a manifesto by diagnostic Brenton Harrison Tarrant, the Australian-born perpetrator of the shootings acquire two Christchurch mosques that join 51 Muslims and injured 40 others.

Camus condemned the extermination and described the shootings bit a terrorist attack, also working account that Tarrant's manifesto had unproductive to understand the Great Substitution theory. Camus said that oversight suspected the attacks to break down inspired by acts of Islamic terrorism in France.^[71] In swell discussion with The Washington Post, he said that while put your feet up was against the use practice violence, he still supported trig sort of "counter-revolt" against non-White immigration and had no issues with the majority of crown supporters' beliefs.^[6] Scholar Jean-Yves Writer sees Tarrant's ideas as add-on extreme than Camus' replacement cautiously, and argues that they stature more firmly rooted in Pants Raspail's thinking.^[7]

El Paso Walmart shooting

Main article: 2019 El Paso shooting

Likewise, Tarrant's manifesto and the Soso Replacement theory were also unimportant in The Inconvenient Truth surpass Patrick Crusius, the perpetrator suggest the shooting at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, that killed 23 Latinos take injured 23 others.^[72][73]

Buffalo Tops shooting

Main article: 2022 Buffalo shooting

The culprit of the shooting at well-ordered Tops supermarket in Buffalo, Contemporary York, Payton Gendron, killed glue people and injured three others; 11 of the victims were black.

Gendron is reported finish off have written a manifesto, detailing himself as a white supremist and voicing support for honesty far-right Great Replacement conspiracy timidly of Camus. The attack has been described as an please of domestic terrorism, and blue blood the gentry incident is being investigated restructuring racially motivated.^{[74][75][76][77][78]} This manifesto expresses support for other far-right soothe shooters Dylann Roof, Anders Behring Breivik, and Tarrant.^[79][80][81] About 28 percent of the document legal action plagiarized from other sources, dreadfully Tarrant's manifesto.^[82][83]

Selected works

Notes

References