As photographs prove, the new Quarks presenter Nemi El-Hassan took part in the antisemitic Al-Quds march in 2014. We have therefore written to those responsible at WDR and called on them to draw consequences from these findings.
Dear Mr Schönenborn, dear Ms Weber, dear Sir or Madam, it was with great consternation that we learned that the new presenter of your renowned science programme “Quarks”, Nemi El-Hassan, took part in the antisemitic Al-Quds march in 2014. As further photographs prove, she was firmly integrated into the demonstration and also actively chanted slogans. The Al-Quds march is the largest regularly held antisemitic demonstration in Germany. The organisers of the demonstration are monitored by the Verfassungsschutz (domestic intelligence service) because of their proximity to Hezbollah.[i] On Al-Quds Day 2014, flags of the terrorist organisation Hezbollah were displayed openly.[ii] It is hard to imagine that this escaped Nemi El-Hassan. In addition, a group of 20 people within the assembly collectively shouted “Sieg Heil” at a group carrying Israeli flags.[iii]
Even before that, El-Hassan had attracted attention through a lack of distance from Islamists. In an interview with the TAZ she explains that her community organises a trip to the “Blue Mosque” in Hamburg once a year. Behind the flowery term “Blue Mosque” lies the “Islamic Centre Hamburg” (IZH). The Hamburg State Office for the Protection of the Constitution recently confirmed that the IZH constitutes an outpost of the Iranian mullah regime and is directed from the office of the Iranian revolutionary leader Khamenei.[iv]
In the interview, El-Hassan says not a word about the fact that Islamists and supporters of Hezbollah come and go at the IZH. Instead, she goes on to say in the interview: “What I experienced there moved me deeply on an emotional level. The people who were so absorbed in prayer. And everyone was so nice to one another. Afterwards I began to study Islam and travelled to Berlin every Friday to attend an Islam course. Two years later, in year 13, I was ready for the headscarf.”
At the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (Federal Agency for Civic Education), Nemi El-Hassan attracted attention with an accommodating interpretation of the word “jihad”. How this can be reconciled with her participation in the antisemitic Al-Quds march is not apparent. After all, it is precisely jihadist groups in Gaza and also in Lebanon that carry out terror against Israel. Their sympathisers, in turn, take part in the Al-Quds march in Berlin.
The role of television on the question of integration must be rated as very high. Diversity, including among presenters, is important, especially as a positive opportunity for identification in a (post-)migrant society. For this, however, role models should be used who neither have a dubious relationship with Islamists nor have actively taken part in a hate demonstration that has achieved sad notoriety as an annual gathering place for antisemites of various stripes.
We therefore ask WDR to clarify the matter completely. The greatest possible transparency is now necessary. An employee in a prominent position who has positioned herself in such a way is untenable for the largest of the public broadcasters of our democratic state.
As this is not the first time that you have shown a problematic way of dealing with potentially Islamist actors, we urgently ask you to engage seriously with the mechanisms that made this possible.
We politely point out that we will communicate this letter and your reply publicly – unless you require otherwise. Personal contact details and signatures would be redacted in doing so.
We remain at your disposal for any questions at any time.
Yours sincerely
Elio Adler
-Chairman-
[i] https://taz.de/Al-Quds-Demo-in-Berlin/!5508763/
[ii] https://youtu.be/QBurzyxJ-2E
[iii] https://kleineanfragen.de/berlin/17/15517-antisemitische-versammlungen-in-berlin.txt
[iv] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/iran-steuert-moscheeverein-in-hamburg-verfassungsschutz-islamisches-zentrum-hamburg-ist-aussenposten-des-mullah-regimes/27428308.html
