Panic and Hate of Muslims Amplified by Media Across Europe, Holocaust Imagery Deployed by Greek Newspaper to Criticise Government, Islam Compared to Antichrist by Polish Editor
In January’s monitoring, we saw various news outlets publish a variety of anti-Muslim and antisemitic stories raising alarm over individuals’ right to wear religious clothing (and “Afro hair”) at schools and universities, fringe and mainstream media giving a platform to voices claiming that Muslim migrants pose an existential threat to Europe, a Polish Catholic editor comparing Islam to the Antichrist and a Greek newspaper using imagery evocative of the Holocaust to criticise proposed education reforms.
Belgium – Le Vif Publishes Piece Filled with Islamophobic Stereotypes and Tropes
News publication Le Vif this month published an article titled: “Inclusive ideology at the service of Islamist proselytism” (proselytism refers to act or fact of religious conversion, also including actions which invite such conversion). The piece, written by l'Observatoire des fondamentalismes, is in relation to how, starting from the next academic year, religious symbols and garments have been authorised in higher education. This includes the wearing of the veil (with exceptions, for example when safety could be threatened or for reasons of hygiene).
The article in Le Vif is riddled with Islamophobic stereotypes and tropes. In the article, it is claimed that granting the right to ordinary citizens to be able to wear the veil is to open the door to the Islamists and their political-religious demands. The author makes direct links between the veil and Islamist extremism and the rhetoric throughout the piece is that Muslim women are oppressed if they wear the veil. It is important to note that at no point is a Muslim woman actually given a voice here. Overall, the author uses the decision regarding religious symbols in higher education as a basis for spreading anti-Muslim hate, and has been given this opportunity by a large national publication.
UK – Author Claims Hijabs and Afro Hair is “Socially Undesirable”
On the British blog Conservative Woman, Jon Holbrook wrote a piece titled: ‘Should school uniform policy have to accommodate cultural sensitivities?’ In the piece, Holbrook talks about several legal cases which have taken place in the UK regarding school uniform policies. Some legal challenges have been undertaken against schools which forbid afro hair and cornrows in their school uniform policy, a policy which some parents felt was not inclusive of their culture. Holbrook states: "When the child is saying ‘I have a different race and culture to which the school must adapt’ he is requiring the school to adapt to him. He is seeking a dispensation and privilege. But he ought to be adapting to the school, which is imposing a socially desirable norm.”
Later in the article, Holbrook also outlines some similar cases which involved the hijab. The issue here is the reference to a “socially desirable norm”. Who decides what is desirable in society? And who decided that afro hair and hijabs are not desirable in society? Of course, different people have different opinions on this subject; however, when we talk about the media, we need to keep in mind journalistic ethics. The issue here is that this opinion is being stated as fact.
Germany – Populist Blog Makes Subtle but Dangerous Xenophobic, Racist and Islamophobic Claims
Right-wing populist blog Die Freie Welt in Germany published an article in January titled: ‘The EU Migration Pact Threatens to Change Europe Irreversibly.’ The article employs fearmongering tactics about immigration to the EU, claiming that this will be the “end of the right of self-determination of peoples and nation states.” The author of the piece does not use overtly racist or Islamophobic language, however, through tactical word choices and racist narratives they still succeed in casting immigration (specifically Muslim immigrants) in a negative light. The article talks about “mass resettlement” and states that “the migration crisis of 2015 has already given citizens a foretaste of what is to come.”
The author also claims that immigrants are being given priority and ‘special treatment’ over others, stating: “The aim is to implement a "right to migration" for everyone. The immediate consequences for the European peoples and their cultures are ignored.”
When talking about the actual pact documents, the author is vague and uses phrases like “basically” to make unfounded claims about the pact without having to take full responsibility: “Basically, the EU Commission and its technocrats are concerned with legalizing illegal migration to Europe.”
The article concludes with a list of what the author sees as the consequences of this pact, which include “Our culture and civilisation with its own values and ways of life will change permanently”, “More parallel societies and no-go areas will emerge in Europe” and “Islam will continue to spread in Europe. In its slipstream, more radical Islamists and fundamentalists may come to Europe.” These claims, which use common far-right tropes and narratives, are presented with no evidence. We can see that the piece is xenophobic, Islamophobic and racist and written by someone who understands well how to use language and narratives to write such an article without being too explicit: a dangerous tactic. The article gathered 3971 total interactions on social media.
Greece – Newspaper Sketch on Government Reform Makes Use of Holocaust Imagery
In the Greek newspaper Efimerida Ton Sintakton [The Journalists’ Journal], a progressive mainstream daily publication, artist K. Grigoriadis used a cartoon to comment on attempted governmental reforms.
Currently, the Greek government is seeking to pass reforms in education that are considered by many as dreadful for the public education system. Grigoriadis uses imagery painfully similar to that of Auschwitz concentration camp to explore this topic. The cartoon shows a gate with barbed wire and particularly the top part of the gate looks almost identical to that of the well-known Auschwitz concentration camp. The writing on top of the gate says “Studies set you free”, a direct link to the original text of the gate which says “Arbeit macht frei” (“Work sets you free”).
Efimerida Ton Sintakton has a positive track record of accurate and fair reporting and calling out hate; however, in this case they have made an insensitive editorial choice. The use of Auschwitz imagery to discuss governmental reform in Greece takes away from the atrocities of the Holocaust.
Read more: ‘The Worrying Trend of Holocaust Comparisons’
Poland – Right-wing Catholic Magazine Features Interview Claiming that Islam Can Be Described as the Antichrist
The right-wing Catholic website Fronda.pl has published a deeply divisive article that rejects the idea of interfaith dialogue. The piece, titled “The Day of Islam is an absolutely absurd and harmful initiative”, features a Q&A interview with Pawel Lisicki, a prominent Catholic writer and editor. The Day of Islam and the Day of Judaism are celebrated by the Polish Catholic Church on 26th and 17th January respectively to promote dialogue between religions. In opposition to this, Lisicki claims that it makes no sense for Catholics to discuss with Muslim or Jewish people because the Catholic Church is superior.
Lisicki goes as far to claim that Muslims are similar to Satanists: “If we consider Antichrist as a symbol and a set of teachings and claims, then certainly in large measure Islam can be described in this way”. While admitting that not all Muslims are terrorists, he insists that Islam is not a religion of peace, and can be said to normalise violence as a means of conversion. By challenging the value of inter-community dialogue, and drawing on ideas of cultural superiority, Lisicki reproduces harmful attitudes and discourses that ultimately increase the probability of violent and hateful attacks against the Muslim population. The statements were presented in Fronda.pl as a credible opinion, and no counter-arguments were made.
Hungary – Public Service Broadcaster Accuses French Anti-Discrimination NGOs of Provoking the Murder of Samuel Paty
Hirado.hu, the official news site of the Hungarian public service broadcaster (MTVA), published an article about the complaint submitted by a coalition of 36 organisations to the UN Human Rights Council, accusing France of failing to tackle systemic discrimination against Muslims. This news has been reported widely by international media, but Hirado twisted the story to attack Muslim NGOs, portraying them as biased and therefore not trustworthy. In their reporting, Hirado accused the UK-based CAGE, an organisation that campaigns against the injustices of the “war on terror”, of offering tacit support for terrorism. Hirado also claimed that a network of French NGOs was responsible for stirring up hatred towards the teacher Samuel Paty, which led to his murder. The article fails to explore the nuances in this issue, neglecting to acknowledge the crucial role of NGOs in preventing radicalisation and asking important questions about religious discrimination and human rights abuses.
France – White Supremacist ‘Generation Identity’ Group Invited to Speak on National TV about their Violent Ideas
The national TV channel C8 has invited Thaïs D'Escufon, representative of the far-right group Génération Identitaire (Generation Identity), to speak on their evening show “Balance ton post”. This came after the group went to the Col de Portillion pass on the border of France and Spain to create their own surveillance operation to "defend Europe” from migration. C8, which belongs to the same editorial group as the far-right channel CNEWS, interviewed D’Escufon, giving a nation-wide platform to a white supremacist group.
Licra, Get the Trolls Out! partner in France, was among the organisations that denounced D’Escufon’s invitiation, arguing that presenting anti-Muslim and racist conspiracy theories has harmful effects. “The factional far-right thanks you for the publicity and audience you offer to them. Obviously, the intrusion in the Capitol by Trump's rioters did not give you any lesson”, Licra tweeted. France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said he was considering dissolving the group due to their anti-migrant and anti-Muslim operations that incite racial hatred.