San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker is currently under fire for making an alleged anti-Semitic gesture, the "quenelle," or a "Nazi salute in reverse," the New York Post reports.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center, which deemed the gesture anti-Semitic, asked the All-Star player to apologize for the photo, which had been circulated across the French media. Parker recently released a statement addressing the controversy.
"While this gesture has been part of French culture for many years, it was not until recently that I learned of the very negative concerns associated with it," he said. "When l was photographed making that gesture three years ago, I thought it was part of a comedy act and did not know that it could be in any way offensive or harmful. Since I have been made aware of the seriousness of this gesture, I will certainly never repeat the gesture and sincerely apologize for any misunderstanding or harm relating to my actions. Hopefully this incident will serve to educate others that we need to be more aware that things that may seem innocuous can actually have a history of hate and hurt."
Allegations against Parker come in the wake of Nicolas Anelka making the same gesture after scoring a goal for West Bromwich Albion of the English Premier League. The 34-year-old French soccer star claimed that his use of "quenelle" was meant to be a tribute to French comedian Dieudonne, who invented it, but on Monday, he announced his decision to stop using making celebratory gesture after scoring a goal.
Boris Diaw and Tony Parker doing the "quenelle" (nazi gesture). Sick people. pic.twitter.com/wikTuAXXFf
— Doctor NBA (@DoctorNBA) December 30, 2013
