Thursday, February 11, 2016
Man Threatened With €250,000 Fine For Criticising Pro Migration Journalist
Ms. Hayali recently won a “Golden Camera” award for her
reporting for German state TV channel ZDF, which recently launched an
Arabic-language service as well as subtitling Chancellor Angela Merkel’s New Year’s address in the language.
In Ms. Hayali’s acceptance speech, she argued against
“xenophobia” and “right wing” ideas, no doubt confirming her as a
darling of the German media establishment. She reacted to her critics
saying ,”If you make racist comments, then you are f*cking racist.”
Ms. Hayali is known as having an extremely pro-migrant
stance. As the daughter of Iraqi migrants she is regarded by German
media like Tagesspiel as “probably the most famous German TV
face – with an immigrant background,” and she is described as an
“ambassador” for the group “Show Your Face” who “fight against the
right”.
“Show Your Face” is a group dedicated to outing opposition
to the Merkel government and to what they perceive as “hatred” and
xenophobia.
The organisation’s managing director Rebecca Weis argues
that political persecution of their opposition is required to keep
migrants safe from violence, by associating all critics of asylum with
banned groups. Weis, in an interview with German media, said
after a visit to Heidenau along with Ms. Hayali in August of last year,
“We went to Heidenau to strengthen the youth. Many are very insecure
and feel threatened – from the extreme right, not by the refugees.”
When Weis was asked about her opinion on the media
coverage of the migrant crisis, she says ,”what really makes me angry is
what has recently been spoken of “asylum critics”. Who are active in
front of [migrant] homes
inciting hate like neo-Nazis, chanting racist slogans, which is racist
and right-wing extremist – and that should be named that way,” giving a
clear opinion that she thinks all opponents of the migrant crisis are
neo-Nazis.
These associations along with her past as a pro-migrant
campaigner are part of why Ms. Hayali has received criticism online. The
biggest event to tip of the barrage of comments was her TV programme,
in which she went to an Alternative for Germany (AfD) rally in order to
cover the event. Immediately recognised by bystanders, she was told she
was a liar and part of the “Lugenpresse” – a common German idiom
employed to refer to the “liar media”.
Given her past as a campaigner for migrants and her being
the “ambassador” for an organisation that equates those rally-goers to
Nazis, it is little wonder the reaction from many in the crowd to her presence.
The court in Hamburg did not specify the exact nature of
the comments toward Ms. Hayali, so it is impossible to say whether or
not they were legitimate criticism, or in fact, “racist” abuse.
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