What are the “celestial dragons”, which have caused LFI MP David Guiraud to be accused of anti-Semitism?

It all starts from a simple extract from a cartoon. LFI MP David Guiraud is accused of anti-Semitism after publishing on X (formerly Twitter) an image from the animated series Japanese One Piecereferring to “celestial dragons”, characters whose name and image have been used for anti-Semitic purposes on social networks.

The MP quickly deleted his tweet in the face of the controversy, so as not to “to hit”and he denies having intended to relay an anti-Semitic reference. “Celestial dragons are not a religion or a ‘breed’ and if you think so, you read it wrong One Piece“he asserts on Twitter, where he is used to publishing references to the world of the best-selling manga in the world, with more than 500 million copies sold since his first volume in 1997.

So, what are the “celestial dragons”, spoken of in the universe One Piece ? With more than 100 volumes and 1,000 episodes, the world created by Eiichiro Oda teeming with characters. It follows the adventures of a boy named Luffy in his quest for an ultimate treasure, the One Piece, to become the king of the pirates.

Rich, powerful and manipulative

In this world, “Celestial dragons are the high nobility of blood. They are the descendants of the founders of the world government. They are rich, powerful and full of privileged beings who praise one another.”explains Pierre-William Fregonese, researcher at the Kyoto Faculty of Arts (Japan). Physically, the “celestial dragons” are humanoids recognizable by their white clothes, their burlesque hairstyle and their diving suits that they wear so as not to breathe the same air as the others.

“World government, wealth, caste that pulls the strings”… These characteristics of “celestial dragons” have been hijacked by certain anti-Semitic Internet users who see a parallel between these characters of the universe One Piece and the Jews, explains Illana Weizmansociologist and essayist on the issue of anti-Semitism. Depicted as powerful, rich and manipulative, the “celestial dragons” indeed tick many boxes of the anti-Semitic imagination and conspiracy theories of a “new world order”.

However, according to the sociologist, “the universe of One Piece in itself is not anti-Semitic”the “celestial dragons” represent a cruel and contemptuous caste, but without targeting the Jews, she analyzes. For the researcher, it is the reappropriation of these characters to establish a parallel with the Jews that is anti-Semitic. Eiichiro Oda has never been accused of anti-Semitic remarks. His manga, on the contrary, carries anti-discrimination values, although it “also conveys stereotypes”estimated Pierre-William Fregonese.

A coded language to avoid the “shadowban”

So why have some anti-Semitic Internet users opted for this obscure reference? “A few years ago, in order to avoid keyword moderation, members of the jeuxvideo.com forums started using the expression ‘celestial dragons’ to refer to Jewish people”explains Pierre-William Fregonese. Several platforms have implemented moderation based on identifying certain keywords in order not to highlight the content associated with them. We call this the “shadowban“ (or “stealth ban” in French). This concerns the term “Jewish”, but also other words relating to content deemed sensitive by the platforms.

The fact remains that anti-Semitic remarks are not only prohibited on social networks, they are subject to the law. “Anti-Semitism is not an opinion, it is a crime”recalls Illana Weizman. By disguising their speech, anti-Semites also seek to escape justice more easily. Using coded language makes them more discreet and allows them to hide behind a false interpretation of their words to defend themselves from any anti-Semitism. “The goal is that the general public does not understand”explains Illana Weizman. “It’s a ‘dog whistle‘ [un appel du pied]that is to say a term which can go unnoticed, but allows anti-Semites to recognize each other.explains the essayist.

This reference to One Piece is not, moreover, the first example of “dog whistle“ of an anti-Semitic nature appeared on social networks. During successive confinements linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, the term “qyes?“ had, for example, become popular among anti-Semites to talk about Jews without naming them. The expression “celestial dragon”, used on social networks in French for several years, has now become common, other expressions, such as “Tenryubito” (the Japanese translation of “celestial dragons”), have also appeared.