Italy’s islamophobic industry cracks down on muslim journalists
The recent days in Italy have been accompanied by debates surrounding the COVID-19 measures of a people that has suffered greatly economically. This dissatisfaction has been abused once again by the italian islamophobic industry in media and politics which this time targeted muslim independent journalist and director of the La Luce newspaper Davide Piccardo.
The attacks have followed after one article published by the newspaper denounced the islamophobic language used and promoted by right journalists like Nicola Porro, Fiamma Nirenstein, Vittorio Feltri, Francesco Giubilei and others that are affiliated with the far right newspapers Il Giornale and Libero (major islamophobic journals and/or journalists denounced by the European report on islamophobia of 2019 and 2020) and which exarcebated the climate of hatred against muslim especially following French’s crackdown on muslims, a pie too juicy to let go.
The attacks against the director Davide Piccardo, which have also been perpetrated by far-right politicans Matteo Salvini and Giorgia Meloni via their social media channels, have accused of extremism using fake news the young journalist and his newspaper. The article that led to the attacks denounced the violent language used by the journalists that have equated Erdogan to Bin Laden, equating Turkey of being like the terrorist organization ISIS, and claiming that Erdogan is killing people in European solis (using terrorists).
The tensions have not missed the careful watch of the European Muslim Network, which has recently published a statement defending Piccardo against the slander and reminding the importance of his work, his newspaper being the only major newspaper in Italy that has an explicit anti-islamophobia mission.
“The European Muslim Network (EMN) condemns unequivocally the verbal attacks on our member, the independent journalist, Davide Piccardo by the former interior minister of Italy, current member of the parliament of Italy, and leader of the ultra-right-wing party Lega Nord, Matteo Salvini. His vicious attack on Davide Piccardo on social media platforms endangers the life of our valued member and the lives of his family. Salvini will bear the responsibility for any harm that may reach Davide Piccardo.”
Piccardo, which in these hours has been the victims of dozens of hate speech instances in his social media channels and under Salvini’s and Meloni’s comment section, has highlighted that he’ll continue to promote free independent journalism, that speaking against islamophobia should not be equated with extremism, and that he’ll take legal actions if need be to guard himself, his work and that of the La Luce team.
