By Mohamed al-Sharif
(Zaman Al Wasl)- Lawyer of the Syrian refugee who took a selfie with German Chancellor Angela Merkel refuted claims Facebook's representatives in court.
Anas Modamani, the 19-year-old refugee who arrived to Germany in 2015, has accused the giant social utility of lack of credibility and transparency and not taking enough deterrents against hate speech.
Modamani like other Syrians who fled the Syrian war, seeking a safe place and a decent living. he was pictured in September 2015 taking a selfie with Merkel during her visit to a refugee shelter in Berlin's Spandau district.
The case has been being followed widely and closely, moreover, subsequently, Germany is preparing a legislation to force Facebook to omit hate speeches within 24 hours, or it would face fines and consequences, calling to consider the Facebook as a media corporation not just technology one.
However, in the following months, Modamani's picture was shared on Facebook by anonymous accounts, accompanied with posts claiming he was responsible for bombing of Brussels Airport, March 2016, and accusing Merkel of taking "selfie " with a criminal terrorist.
In his talk to Zaman al-Wasl, Modamani explained that he was very upset by the of false accusation, and after research he discovered that the group responsible for publishing false accusation included 3 million member and operated by extremist , Nazis and right-winged members, they used his image with the German Chancellor to embarrass and pressurize her for her "outstretched hand" policy with immigrants.
Anas added that he also was shocked when 6 immigrants burned a sleeping homeless man in Berlin’s train station, then his name and the Selfie with Merkel had appeared again in the scene and propaganda to stir up hate speech against migrants.
“I then became sure that the subject was not just a coincidence, and I realized that migrants in general and Muslims and Syrians refugees in particular were targeted, so I decided to hire a lawyer in order to request Facebook to remove the images, but it repeatedly refused to take the posts down, saying they do not violate the company's rules, then I decided to file a lawsuit against it”.
Modamani detailed that in the latest court setting, Facebook’s representative claimed that the company has taken his defaming images down, but his lawyer Chan-jo Jun opened his mobile and showed the judge that images were still on Facebook site, then the judge ended the court setting.
Anas believes that accusations against him are systematic actions within a bigger campaign targeting refugees and Muslims and accusing Merkel of exposing Germany to risk by her lenient policy with immigrants.
Anas considers that all refugees are targeted and credibility and transparency of Facebook is now at stake.
Anas explained that he aimed from his act against Facebook was to stop the attacks against him in particular, and other Syrians and refugees in particular, as he is still young and wanted to complete his study and build his career, besides that he feels that he is under risk if campaign against him continued.
Modamani mentioned that Arabic media needs to take action to cover the matter, because it is part of a campaign against migrants and Arabs and encourages hate speech, mentioning that initiating a campaign on the Facebook opposing those right-winged extremists could be beneficial.
(Zaman Al Wasl)- Lawyer of the Syrian refugee who took a selfie with German Chancellor Angela Merkel refuted claims Facebook's representatives in court.
Anas Modamani, the 19-year-old refugee who arrived to Germany in 2015, has accused the giant social utility of lack of credibility and transparency and not taking enough deterrents against hate speech.
Modamani like other Syrians who fled the Syrian war, seeking a safe place and a decent living. he was pictured in September 2015 taking a selfie with Merkel during her visit to a refugee shelter in Berlin's Spandau district.
The case has been being followed widely and closely, moreover, subsequently, Germany is preparing a legislation to force Facebook to omit hate speeches within 24 hours, or it would face fines and consequences, calling to consider the Facebook as a media corporation not just technology one.
However, in the following months, Modamani's picture was shared on Facebook by anonymous accounts, accompanied with posts claiming he was responsible for bombing of Brussels Airport, March 2016, and accusing Merkel of taking "selfie " with a criminal terrorist.
In his talk to Zaman al-Wasl, Modamani explained that he was very upset by the of false accusation, and after research he discovered that the group responsible for publishing false accusation included 3 million member and operated by extremist , Nazis and right-winged members, they used his image with the German Chancellor to embarrass and pressurize her for her "outstretched hand" policy with immigrants.
Anas added that he also was shocked when 6 immigrants burned a sleeping homeless man in Berlin’s train station, then his name and the Selfie with Merkel had appeared again in the scene and propaganda to stir up hate speech against migrants.
“I then became sure that the subject was not just a coincidence, and I realized that migrants in general and Muslims and Syrians refugees in particular were targeted, so I decided to hire a lawyer in order to request Facebook to remove the images, but it repeatedly refused to take the posts down, saying they do not violate the company's rules, then I decided to file a lawsuit against it”.
Modamani detailed that in the latest court setting, Facebook’s representative claimed that the company has taken his defaming images down, but his lawyer Chan-jo Jun opened his mobile and showed the judge that images were still on Facebook site, then the judge ended the court setting.
Anas believes that accusations against him are systematic actions within a bigger campaign targeting refugees and Muslims and accusing Merkel of exposing Germany to risk by her lenient policy with immigrants.
Anas considers that all refugees are targeted and credibility and transparency of Facebook is now at stake.
Anas explained that he aimed from his act against Facebook was to stop the attacks against him in particular, and other Syrians and refugees in particular, as he is still young and wanted to complete his study and build his career, besides that he feels that he is under risk if campaign against him continued.
Modamani mentioned that Arabic media needs to take action to cover the matter, because it is part of a campaign against migrants and Arabs and encourages hate speech, mentioning that initiating a campaign on the Facebook opposing those right-winged extremists could be beneficial.
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