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| By: Associated Press |
| Published: April 5, 2006 |
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A committee of Polish journalists on Tuesday sharply condemned a broadcast by an ultra-Roman Catholic radio station for making "very nasty, anti-Semitic" remarks accusing Jews of making a business of Holocaust reparation payments.
The Media Ethics Council, a non-governmental watchdog, lambasted remarks made by Stanislaw Michalkiewicz, a commentator for the Catholic station Radio Maryja, who on March 27 condemned international Jewish groups.
Michalkiewicz accused Jews of "trying to force our government to pay extortion money disguised as 'compensation payments"' for property lost during and after World War II.
He referred to such restitution attempts by Jewish groups as the "Holocaust business."
"For a station that constantly calls itself Catholic, it is a sin against one's neighbor," said Magdalenda Bajer, head of the Media Ethics Council. "It was very nasty, anti-Semitic language, and anti-Semitism is an evil."
Michalkiewicz denied the comments were anti-Semitic, telling The Associated Press he described "a factual state" and things "universally known."
"If we're talking about anti-Semitism in the traditional understanding of the word, I don't feel it is," Michalkiewicz said. "If we understand any criticism of the actions of any Jews to be anti-Semitism, then according to such a broad definition there's no way out of it. However, if we recognize anti-Semitism as bitter slander, and on top of that untrue, that I don't feel."
He said the goal of the statement was to inform public opinion "about the reappearance of restitution claims toward Poland."
A woman who answered the phone at Radio Maryja said nobody at the station could comment on the issue.
Radio Maryja is controversial among the wider public for its strict Catholic views, and has been accused of pandering to anti-Semitic sentiment. It has also been criticized in recent years by Polish church authorities.
It has gained more attention since the election of the conservative party, Law and Justice, whose leaders - including Prime Minster Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz and party chairman Jaroslaw Kaczynski - appear frequently on its programs.
The council has no power to fine or punish Radio Maryja, but can draw attention to media reports and journalistic ethics.
Poland's Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich said such broadcasts work against Poland's reputation.
"The airing of inflammatory, racist speeches is never going to help build a democratic, pluralistic civil society," Schudrich told The Associated Press. "Any condemnation of such airing is positive." |
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