The British Broadcasting Corporation, “BBC”, said that it had suspended the work of the famous sports broadcaster, Gary Lineker, due to his defense of a tweet via Twitter, in which he criticized the British government’s new plan on illegal immigration.
On Saturday, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) suspended the work of famous sportscaster Gary Lineker, due to his defense of refugees on social media.
The former English footballer sparked controversy by comparing, in a tweet via Twitter, the British government's new plan on illegal immigration, to the rhetoric of Nazi Germany.
Lineker said, in a tweet, that "the British government uses language towards refugees that is not different from that used by politicians and the media in Germany in the 1930s."
He pointed out that "the number of refugees in the United Kingdom is less than in other European countries," referring to Britain's anti-immigrant policy.
Today, the famous BBC football program "Match of the Day" will be broadcast, without a broadcaster or commentators due to the suspension of Lineker's work and the dispute over the concept of impartiality in the "BBC".
Regular commentators quit the show in solidarity with its presenter, Gary Lineker. Some of the current players also decided to refrain from giving interviews to the BBC on Saturday to comment on today's match.
The BBC said Friday evening in a statement that it considered Lineker's tweet a breach of its guidelines and that he would remain off the broadcast until it had "an agreed and clear position on his use of social media".
However, Lineker believes that "the decision to suspend will not change his position and will continue to defend those who do not have a voice," according to the "BBC".
"The Mediterranean is the cemetery of fugitives" Criticism of Europe's "criminal" policy towards immigrants
Two researchers in the field of anthropology criticized the policy of European countries towards the file of irregular migration, and said that its implementation continues in light of complete disregard. They said the Mediterranean had become the world's largest cemetery for exiles fleeing their countries towards Europe.
Two French researchers criticized European policy towards irregular migrants in the Mediterranean, describing it as a "criminal policy."
Lorenzo Aloni and Didier Fassan, two anthropologists, said in an article published by the French newspaper Le Monde that the Mediterranean has become the largest cemetery in the world for exiles who flee their countries towards Europe in search of better living conditions.
The two researchers directed harsh criticism at the policy of European countries towards the file of irregular migration, and said that its implementation continues in light of complete disregard.
The International Organization for Migration confirmed that the number of victims of irregular migration since 2014 has reached about 48,000, half of whom have died on average.
The investigations revealed, according to the researchers, that Europe's tightening of security control at its borders contributed to the increase in the number of victims, in addition to the increase in the profit margin of the displacement networks that raised the fees for their "services".
They said that the lack of appreciation for the lives of migrants contributes directly to underestimating the sinking of the boats that were bringing them to Europe.
And at the end of last month, a migrant boat sank off the Italian coast of Calabria, killing at least 72 people.
Commenting on the incident, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Biantidosi said, "Despair can never justify risking the lives of children," and addressed the migrants by saying, "Stop and stay where you are, and we will come to look for you."
In their article, the two authors ridiculed the statement of the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, in which she affirmed the government's commitment to preventing the departure of migrants to the sea, and spoke of the need for greater cooperation between countries of origin and countries of departure to prevent the occurrence of these human tragedies.
The authors also criticized French President Emmanuel Macron's contention with talking about the need to provide the necessary support to the European Border Monitoring Organization "Frontex" while commenting on the drowning of 27 migrants on November 24, 2021.
According to Le Monde's article, the two writers indicated that the plane of the European organization saw the presence of migrants on the boat, but did not report their distress for help.
The naval force that headed towards them claimed the bad weather to turn back, and it is mainly with customs duties, unlike the Coast Guard force that was supposed to go to rescue the migrants.
"Potential terrorists" New Muslims are victims of far-right rhetoric in Italy
The discourse of the extreme right in Italy about Islam leads to the treatment of new converts to the religion as "immigrants" or "potential terrorists" by part of society, according to Raffaello Villani, founder of the Italian Islamic Union, who confirmed that this discourse negatively affects society.
The negative propaganda led by the extreme right against Islam in Italy contributes to the consideration of Italian converts to Islam as "immigrants" or "potential terrorists" by part of society.
Raffaello Villani, founder of the Italian Islamic Union, who converted to Islam in 2011, and Stefano Sugari, legal advisor at the Italian University of Parma, who converted to Islam 4 years ago, spoke to Anadolu Agency about the problems faced by Italians who converted to Islam.
Need to know Islam
Villani stated that Italy "has between 300 and 500 thousand Italian Muslims, most of whom need to know Islam more and study its origins and beliefs."
He added that "after his conversion to Islam, he faced harsh reactions from his family, which is affected by the discourse of the media and the negative propaganda promoted by the far-right parties."
Villani noted that because of the "negative publicity" in the media, "part of Italians see their Muslim compatriots as 'bad people'".
He pointed out that Italians who have recently converted to Islam "do not know how to explain Islam to their families, and that Italian Muslim women face various harassments from their families."
And Villani added: "In Italy, families believe that their daughters, who started covering their heads after converting to Islam, have submitted to their husbands, and that the veil symbolizes slavery."
He pointed out that Italian Muslims "also suffer from problems at work, especially in matters related to fasting during the month of Ramadan and performing the five daily prayers, because employers usually do not show respect for different religious beliefs."
Villani explained that the problems facing Italian Muslims who live with their families "are not limited to performing religious rituals, but extend to food habits, including alcohol and pork."
The West considers itself "higher and smarter"
Villani said Italian far-right politicians had "created a wedge between Italian Muslims and their families by continuing to offend Islam and Muslims".
He pointed out that there is a conviction in Italy that believes that "excluding Muslims from society will be better for the country," and said: "This problem is not only in Italy, but rather exists in the West in general," pointing out that the West considers itself "superior and smarter" than Muslims.
Villani stated that the far right "terrified families with the attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States and imposed the idea that Muslim members of Italian families would become terrorists in the future."
"This propaganda is a cunning operation against lower-middle-income Italian families, being promoted by a party that offends refugees, blacks and Muslims," he said.
Villani added that the relations between Italy and Muslims "go back to ancient times," stressing that the Italian society and the Islamic society "have many aspects in common."
An Italian Muslim is treated as an immigrant
In turn, lawyer Sugari said that his interest in Islam "began during his school years, when he was fond of history and the East."
He explained that "he was born into a Catholic Christian family, and that his parents did not know anything about Islam before his conversion to Islam, and that he converted to Islam in 2019 thanks to one of his Italian Muslim friends."
He continued, "My family never believed that an Italian could become a Muslim, because they had heard from the media that Islam is a 'dangerous and bad' religion."
Sugari revealed, "There is an increase in the number of Italians who have recently converted to Islam, and that the far-right parties are trying to turn this situation in their favor by spreading fear within society."
He pointed out that "hatred towards Islam has been fueled by the increase in the flow of immigrants to Italy in recent years, and he said: not all Italians adopt the same opinion, but when an Italian defines himself as a Muslim, he is treated as an immigrant."
Rejection of children for converting to Islam
Sugari stressed that Catholic families, as well as non-religious Italian families, "deliberately reject their children who have converted to Islam."
"Some families kick their children out of the house just because they converted to Islam," he said.
And Sugari added: "Italian Muslim women face greater problems. They suffer difficulties in public places, or they have been dismissed from work because of the headscarf."
He explained that "he had a friend who was fired from his job because he was a Muslim, and that he personally was subjected to a lot of harassment at work and in social life just because he converted to Islam."
Sugari pointed out that the rhetoric of the extreme right about Islam and Muslims "negatively affects society, and that the media is trying to portray Muslims as treacherous and stupid who will fall into the arms of extremism at any moment."
He pointed out that "anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiments in the country have increased, as the media often focuses on presenting bad examples of some people affiliated with Muslims."
Sugari concluded, "Italian Muslims find it difficult to explain Islam to their families and society, and to refute the negative image that the media deliberately promotes about Muslims."
A labor union in Germany calls for a strike at Berlin airport that may disrupt movement and cancel flights
The Verdi trade union has called on security personnel at Berlin Airport to strike on 13 March. The union expected that the strike would disrupt passenger traffic or cancel flights.
The Verdi trade union has called for a strike by security personnel at Berlin Airport on March 13 to begin in the early hours of the morning, noting that the strike is likely to cause long passenger lines or flight cancellations.
The service sector workers union said it was calling a strike over disputes over compensation for night shifts, weekends and bank holidays that had been paid for years.
"Verdi demands adequate pay for airport security personnel who work at inappropriate times. Overtime has not improved since 2006, and we have been in on-and-off negotiations for an increase since 2013," the union said in a statement.
And last month, employees of the Verdi union working in the services sector in many German airports began a warning strike that included 7 airports, the most important of which are Stuttgart, Dortmund, Hanover and Bremen, with the aim of increasing pressure in the negotiations regarding the wages of employees in the field of public service and ground movement services, and the wages of workers in air security.
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