Austria: ‘Anti-Semitic’ Cartoon Prompts Inquiry
I’m a little confused by this. The cartoon seems obviously anti-Semitic to me because it depicts a gluttonous banker with a hooked nose, but there seems to be some question about whether it is or not. The article I’m referencing at the JPost uses scare quotes around the word anti-Semitic, and a WaPo article on the same calls it an “alleged anti-Semitic cartoon”, so clearly neither paper is willing to unreservedly label it anti-Semitic. I wonder how they determine that…
Another thing: Are only anti-Semitic images potentially illegal in Europe? I assume this has to do with the the Holocaust & Europe’s history of anti-Semitism as well as differences in free speech laws, but it still strikes me as a bit odd. The Romani people as well as other non-Jewish groups) were also victims of the genocide—are there laws against anti-Roma cartoons? I’ve never heard of any.
Warning: There’s an image of the cartoon at the source, so if you’re at work and it could get you in trouble, click on the link to the WaPo article above instead.
BERLIN - The Vienna prosecutor’s office launched an inquiry into far-right politician Heinz-Christian Strache on Tuesday for posting an allegedly anti- Semitic cartoon on his Facebook site.
The Austrian daily Der Standard reported prosecutors are investigating whether the cartoon meets the standard of inciting hatred against Jews, which would be a violation of the country’s anti-hate laws. […]
The head of Vienna’s 7,500- member Jewish community, Oskar Deutsch, told the AFP wire news service on Monday that ‘it’s not a coincidence that a caricature of Jews, like the ones in [Nazi newspaper] Stuermer in the 1930s and 1940s appeared on the Facebook page of FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache.’ […]
