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Muslim kindergartens are a growing trend in Germany and there are plans to open many more.

The city of Neumünster in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein is opening its first Muslim kindergarten in the city center, which, at 2,500 square meters, will have space for 60 children. While the Christian Democrats (CDU) describe the new daycare as “cultural enrichment,” a previous government report notes that the sponsor behind the daycare is “strictly Sharia-oriented.”

The Neumünster council backed the new Islam-focused kindergarten, which will cost €2.8 million, by a large majority, and the grand opening is planned for next year. The financial sponsor is a local mosque association that belongs to the umbrella organization known as the Association of Islamic Cultural Centers (VIKZ) based in Cologne. However, the VIKZ is a controversial organization.

The Hessian Ministry of Social Affairs commissioned a report from Ursula Spuler-Stegemann, who is an expert on Turkey, in 2004. Her report stated that student residences operated by the VIKZ were used “almost exclusively for Islamic teaching and for training in religious practice” and were “absolutely detrimental to integration.” In such educational settings, students were “indoctrinated into a strictly Sharia-oriented” form of Islam and “immunized against Christianity and the West, as well as against our constitution.”

Politicians are well aware of the track record of the VIKZ, but nonetheless the Neumünster city council voted overwhelmingly in favor of the new daycare center, with 44 votes for it and only six against, and one abstention. 

“In addition to Christian providers, there will now also be a Muslim provider of a daycare center. I see this as a cultural enrichment,” said Babett Schwede-Oldehus, the CDU chairwoman of the social and health committee, before the vote was taken.

The laws proscribed by Sharia and conservative Islam are radically at odds with what German liberals say they want for their nation, yet for the sake of promoting multiculturalism, most liberal groups and activists promote the idea of more Muslim immigration, cultural associations, and mosques being built.

The only parties to vote against the daycare were the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Heimat Neumünster (formerly NPD), which both have three seats.

The operators of the daycare say that the daycare center will also accept non-Muslim students and the language spoken by children in the daycare will be German — although enforcing this latter promise may prove to be difficult.

There is a daycare crisis across Germany, with many existing kindergartens struggling to fill daycare roles; however, this Muslim kindergarten already has 13 daycare workers

While the kindergarten will be paid for by the Association of Islamic Cultural Centres (VIKZ), the city will subsidize equipment with €250,000 and pay the annual rental costs of €180,000. 

The VIKZ has ambitious plans to expand daycare centers across Germany, with a number of them already existing in Berlin and Dortmund.

A poll conducted in May of this year by Insa found that an absolute majority of 52 percent rather agree with the statement that “Germany should generally no longer accept refugees from Islamic countries.” Only 34 percent say they “disagree” or “tend to disagree” with this statement. The poll further shows that 54 percent of respondents said they were “afraid that Germans will become a minority in Germany.” On the other hand, 37 percent said they were not concerned.

In 2023, a poll conducted for Bild newspaper found that nearly two-thirds of all German citizens want the country’s federal government to impose a ban on migration from predominantly Muslim nations.

Polling conducted by INSA on behalf of the Bild tabloid newspaper showed that 61 percent of respondents now advocate refusing any more migrants from Islamic countries, with many explaining they no longer feel safe in their own country and believe an increasing number of new arrivals despise German society.

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EXCLUSIVE: Economist Reveals How Gold, Silver, And The US Dollar Went Up After Assassination Attempt

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A wooden statue of the Virgin Mary was found stabbed in the throat, with explicit Islamist graffiti.

Desecrations of Catholic places of worship in France have increased exponentially in recent months. Most recently, a church in Paris was vandalised using acts of extreme violence. 

The vandalism occurred on the night of Sunday, July 14th at the church of Notre-Dame du Travail in the 14th arrondissement in the south of Paris. The building was defiled by explicit and violent tags calling for war, decapitation of Christians, and threatening to burn the church down.

The next day, the parishioners discovered a fire had broken out, but fortunately, it did not catch, thus avoiding irreparable damage. 

Many of the inscriptions found were explicitly Islamic in nature: “Submit to Allah the infidel, pray 5 times a day,” “Bastard Jesus, only one god, Allah,” for example, could be read on the walls of the sanctuary. 

Other damage was also reported. The organ was smashed, the sound system was damaged and the assailant even left excrement at the back of the building. One final act was particularly violent in symbolic terms. In the small community bar next to the church, a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary was found in the sink, stabbed in the throat with a kitchen knife, accompanied by the inscriptions: “Mary, here is your fate”, “We Muslims we can’t accept this f*** religion.”

The parish vicar, Abbé Vincent de Mello, believes that the attacker was isolated, perhaps “a little deranged,” but clearly “hostile and threatening,” and notes that there was no systematic destruction. A few months ago, Notre-Dame du Travail was the target of theft and damage. The parish hopes to receive funding from the city or the Paris diocese to install a video surveillance system. 

Notre-Dame du Travail church is located in a working-class district of Paris, with a large immigrant population in the vicinity. Abbé de Mello told Boulevard Voltaire that the area was hit hard by the riots in June 2023. “On Eid day in June, some people tried to get into the courtyard of the presbytery, because they knew we had a barbecue,” says the priest. On several occasions, young people shouted “Allah Akbar” during the mass, but that’s as far as it went. Since then, Islamist threats have been joined by antifascist graffiti.

Anti-Christian acts occur all over France and have been steadily and inexorably increasing for several years. The Ministry of the Interior has counted a thousand such acts in 2023 alone, 90% of which were attacks on property, churches, or cemeteries.

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EXCLUSIVE: Economist Reveals How Gold, Silver, And The US Dollar Went Up After Assassination Attempt

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The WHO on Monday reported that global childhood immunization rates have stalled. Meanwhile, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance unveiled an $11.9 billion plan to vaccinate 500 million children by 2030. Dr. Paul Thomas warned that vaccination programs are unnecessary and health agencies should focus on nutrition and overall health.

Global childhood immunization rates stalled in 2023, leaving millions of children “vulnerable to preventable diseases,” according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.

The latest WHO-UNICEF estimates show that 14.5 million children missed all doses of “routine” DTP vaccines last year, an increase from 13.9 million in 2022. The report also laments the gaps in measles vaccinations, noting that outbreaks hit 103 countries.

Dr. Paul Thomas, a pediatrician and co-author of the upcoming book, “Vax Facts: What to Consider Before Vaccinating at All Ages & All Stages of Life,” told The Defender the the global vaccination programs continue to use the dangerous whole-cell DTP formulation instead of the less risky acellular version.

The whole-cell vaccine, which contains the entire Bordetella pertussis organism rather than just purified components, has since the 1930s resulted in widespread reports of neurological damage. It was phased out in the U.S. by 1997, but the formulation has continued to be used in low- and middle-income countries, potentially killing millions of children.

“The irony is that success, when it is measured by how well a country or region or doctor vaccinates, in reality rewards the pharmaceutical industry and all who profit from vaccine sales at the expense of the health of the individual and the community,” Thomas said.

Thomas, the author of a study comparing the health outcomes of vaccinated versus unvaccinatedchildren, argued success should be measured on the overall health of the population, not onvaccination rates.

“The less we vaccinate, the healthier the population,” he said. “We need new metrics!”

The report comes as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, unveiled an ambitious $11.9 billion plan — including $9 billion in new funding — to vaccinate 500 million children by 2030, with existing and new vaccines.

Key findings from WHO-UNICEF report

The WHO-UNICEF report states that the stagnation in global vaccination rates highlights ongoing challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, raising concerns about disease outbreaks, particularly measles, and the impact of climate change on vaccine-preventable diseases.

The report centers on the number of children who received three doses of the DTP vaccine — a key marker for global immunization coverage — which stalled at 84% (108 million) of children in 2023, a number the WHO nonetheless called “impressive.”

The global health agency blamed the data trends on poor access to health services during the pandemic that persists, and on fragile, conflict-ridden areas.

The increase of 600,000 “zero-dose” children was particularly concerning to the WHO in light of its Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030) goals. IA2030 aims to “leave no one behind” by reducing the number of zero-dose children by 50% and with “500 vaccine introductions” of “new or under-utilized vaccines” in low- and middle-income countries by 2030.

Measles vaccination rates also remain a significant concern to the WHO. In 2023, only 83% of children worldwide received their first dose of the measles vaccine through routine health services, while just 74% received their second dose.

These figures fall short of the 95% coverage the WHO claims is needed to “prevent outbreaks, avert unnecessary disease and deaths and achieve measles elimination goals,” according to the WHO-UNICEF press release.

“Measles outbreaks are the canary in the coalmine, exposing and exploiting gaps in immunization and hitting the most vulnerable first,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Thomas disagreed with this take, stating that measles is not a threat to well-nourished, healthy children and that the focus on vaccines as a solution “is destroying the immune systems” of those who are highly vaccinated.

“The focus should be on making sure children of the world have adequate nutrition and adequate support of vitamins A, D and C,” he said.

Thomas emphasized the importance of comparing health outcomes for the vaccinated and unvaccinated. “The results will be shocking to all who are not informed,” he said.

Report notes ‘progress’ including HPV vax uptake

Despite the overall stagnation in global immunization rates, the WHO highlighted some areas of what it called “progress” and “resilience.”

The African region made notable strides in 2023, defying global trends by increasing routine immunization coverage. The number of zero-dose children in Africa fell from 7.3 million in 2022 to 6.7 million in 2023, with 1.5 million more children vaccinated with the DTP vaccine than in 2019, according to the report.

Bangladesh, Indonesia, Brazil, Nigeria and Ukraine made notable strides in recovering post-pandemic vaccination rates, according to Dr. Katherine O’Brien, WHO director of the Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, and Dr. Ephrem T. Lemango, UNICEF’s associate director of immunization, who both spoke at a CNN news briefing.

The report also noted that global human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination coverage in girls increased from 20% in 2022 to 27% in 2023, returning to near pre-pandemic levels.

Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, said in the press release, “The HPV vaccine is one of the most impactful vaccines in Gavi’s portfolio, and it is incredibly heartening that it is now reaching more girls than ever before.”

Thomas called the HPV shot “the most dangerous vaccine on the planet other than COVID,” and argued that it “should have been removed from the market long ago.”

“The push to increase vaccine uptake is all about money,” Thomas said. “What do you think is causing the continued ‘vaccine hesitancy’?”

The WHO also announced a call for proposals for a tuberculosis (TB) vaccine accelerator program“to fast-track the development, approval, and use of innovative” TB vaccines for adolescents and adults, and a call for experts to develop novel TB vaccines.

In its coverage of the WHO-UNICEF report, Axios noted that a new malaria vaccine began being distributed to children in the Ivory Coast. Health workers hope this will usher in a “new era” for controlling malaria in Africa.

Gavi and its ambitious plan ‘a big part of the problem’

The WHO report highlighted Gavi’s “2026-2030 Investment Opportunity” unveiled at the Global Forum for Vaccine Sovereignty and Innovation on June 20 in Paris.

The plan aims to vaccinate 500 million children by 2030 — which Gavi claims will avert up to 9 million deaths. Gavi is seeking $9 billion in new pledges of the $11.9 billion needed for the strategic period.

The proposal includes plans to vaccinate 50 million children against malaria and protect 120 million girls from cervical cancer through HPV vaccination.

The investment plan includes the “Day Zero Financing Facility for Pandemics” designed to provide a $2.5 billion “surge financing capacity to support a rapid vaccine response during major public health emergencies.”

Gavi also launched the African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator, a $1 billion initiative to boost vaccine production in Africa.

French President Emmanuel Macron, hosting the forum, emphasized the importance of global vaccination efforts and local production:

“This tough period has also reminded us all that every nation needed to be assured that it had the means to protect its citizens: this is what we have been calling ‘health sovereignty,’ which starts with access to the essential health products that are vaccines, which implies much more local production.”

The proposal received initial support, with $2.4 billion in new pledges announced at the launch event, including $1.58 billion from the U.S., according to the WHO press release.

Thomas said that Gavi and others involved in financing and increasing vaccine distribution are “a big part of the problem” and called for “a total paradigm shift.”

“Imagine the health and freedom and happiness that could be enjoyed worldwide if we focused on healthy nutrition, and assessed health by looking at all health outcomes when we do an intervention,” he said.

Thomas said:

“People are waking up to the truth; vaccines are destroying our health. COVID vaccines helped this awakening, but those who research the childhood vaccines will find a similar challenge. What we have been told is false.

“Vaccines are not safe and effective. Vaccine serious side effects are not one in a million but rather in the 5-10% range.

“Vaccines are not providing herd immunity but instead are creating a population more vulnerable to infections of all kinds and increasing chronic diseases including neurodevelopmental and autoimmune disorders, allergies and cancer, to name just a few.

“The WHO and all who partner with it to bring us pandemics and more immunizations need to be exposed.”

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EXCLUSIVE: Learn How The Secret Service Monitored Their Patsy’s Progress On July 13th

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As early as January 2022, NIH researchers were aware of at least 850 peer-reviewed case reports and/or research articles about COVID-19 vaccine reactions, according to emails obtained by Children’s Health Defense.

As early as January 2022, National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers were aware of at least 850 peer-reviewed case reports and/or research articles about COVID-19 vaccine reactions, according to emails obtained by Children’s Health Defense (CHD).

In one email (name and agency redacted), NIH researchers were told the federal government was “saddled” with the “mess” of dealing with those injured by the COVID-19 vaccines, due to the liability shield enjoyed by vaccine manufacturers.

The emails, part of a 309-page batch of documents released to CHD on June 21, originated from a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) request to NIH researchers for input on a report highlighting several injuries common among people who received the vaccines.

CHD requested the documents via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the NIH in November 2022. When the NIH hadn’t responded by April 2023, CHD sued the agency.

In an October 2023 settlement, the NIH agreed to produce up to 7,500 pages of documents at a rate of 300 pages per month.

The batch of documents released in June — which include emails to Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research — revealed that by fall 2021, key NIH researchers were aware of scientific studies on serious adverse events, including persistent neurological symptoms, following COVID-19 vaccines.

As with prior releases of the NIH documents, June’s tranche also included several emails from vaccine-injured individuals to NIH researchers, seeking help for their symptoms — with one person asking, “Why aren’t you studying vaccine injuries?”

‘Tinnitus … was a freight train in my head for the first four months’

On Jan. 10, 2022, NIH researcher Dr. Avindra Nath was forwarded an email from someone whose name is redacted, with the subject line: “Followup [sic] Jan 4th Meeting” (pages 281-289).

The original email, dated Jan. 9, 2022, was sent to FDA officials including Marks and Dr. Janet Woodcock, principal deputy commissioner of food and drugs, who apparently participated in a meeting on this topic on Jan. 4, 2022.

The Jan. 9, 2022 email included a list of “persistent symptoms following the Covid vaccines” and the names of researchers who were studying these conditions, which included dysautonomia, neuropathy, tinnitus, multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS), myocarditis, blood clots and parasthesias.

The email was accompanied by a spreadsheet listing approximately 850 “peer-reviewed case reports/research articles about Covid vaccine reactions.”

Regarding dysautonomia — a nervous system disorder that disrupts automatic bodily functions — the email stated that the condition is “grossly under diagnosed” and “is not diagnosed in ERs or ICUs” but in “autonomic specialty labs.”

The email noted that such labs are less likely than hospitals to file reports with the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and added that there “likely are issues with identifying this syndrome if only looking through VAERS or similarly reported databases.”

As a result, the email suggested “it would be reasonable to approach autonomic specialists / long covid specialists about their observations.”

A 2011 Harvard study found that less than 1% of all adverse events are reported to VAERS.

The Jan. 9, 2022, email also noted unusual trends regarding diagnoses of neuropathy — a set of neurological symptoms that includes numbness and tingling in the hands or feet, and a burning, stabbing or shooting pain in affected areas.

According to the email, “Historically, neuropathy presents in the predominantly male population aged 59+. However as discussed previous [sic], neuropathy in our case is predominantly female, aged 29-40.”

As with dysautonomia, the email noted that neuropathy is “likely to be inadequately reported through the VAERS and BEST [Biologics Effectiveness and Safety] systems because of the circumstances previously mentioned for dysautonomia.”

The Jan. 9, 2022 email also acknowledged that tinnitus was a common post-vaccination injury, noting, “Our findings are that this is not just J&J [the Johnson & Johnson, or Janssen, COVID-19 vaccine] … not by a long shot.”

According to the email, “This symptom is more proportionate to the general neuro symptoms by brand as previously reported in our patient led survey of 500 participants.”

The email’s author also noted that, “in my case yes, I have tinnitus now and it was a freight train in my head for the first four months.”

‘Is it reasonable to dismiss … 20 new symptoms … in a single person post vaccine?’

According to the email, myocarditis and blood clots were already “acknowledged by the FDA and CDC” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

“Every person in our groups that have one of these two conditions, also have accompanying neuro issues like those of us who are not currently acknowledged by the FDA and CDC,” the email said.

The conditions included postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), “brain fog/memory loss, and inflammation (MCAS)” — mast cell activation syndrome.

“Even the perfectly healthy very fit young males with the lasting myocarditis are struggling with the POTS and inflammation/brain fog/memory loss. Makes me suspect that somehow these all are a result of the same mechanism of action,” the email stated.

The Jan. 9, 2022, email also acknowledged parasthesia — a condition that causes a burning, prickling sensation — and MIS, a condition in which numerous organs become inflamed, as concerns.

The email openly questioned why more wasn’t being done to connect these conditions in the vaccinated, to the COVID-19 vaccines themselves, noting that vaccinated people were frequently demonstrating multiple rare symptoms:

“While we understand that correlation does not equal causation, we also find a strong correlation with the change in our blood that mirrors long-haul, and symptomology that mirrors long-haul.

“Because of this, I have to ask what is the process by which Covid PASC [post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, or long COVID] symptoms have been so readily tied back to Covid, whereas the same symptoms due to the Covid vaccines have not?

“Also, while it may be coincidental to have one or maybe two strange symptoms pop up, is it reasonable to dismiss 10, 15, 20 new symptoms that occur in a single person post vaccine.”

‘Insanely challenging for these people suffering … to walk this path alone’

In the Jan. 10, 2022, email to Nath an NIH researcher wrote, “The FDA has asked once again for us to provide any input from those who have experience with this disease. Very prompt responses and more active engagement on their part lead me to believe they will now examine these problems with some effort.”

The author also asked Nath if he knew researchers “who could fill in the gaps” and asked him if he would “kindly be willing to discuss with Peter Marks?”

“The gov has conveniently absolved the drug companies of any liability, and the federal government is now saddled with the responsibility of figuring out this mess,” the email continued. “I am happy to orchestrate a meeting of the minds with NDR [non-disclosure] agreements if that would get the discussion started in a way that is similar to how previous new diseases have been investigated.”

The email also noted talks with public health officials in Germany and France.

“It has been insanely challenging for these people suffering to have to walk this path alone. They grow more and more desperate by the day. Knowing there is someone, somewhere looking into this makes a big difference for these people to just hang on.”

Even though public health agencies were aware of this information and were discussing vaccine injuries in early 2022, official government advice to the public continued to claim the COVID-19 vaccines were “safe and effective,” including statements by Dr. Anthony Fauci in November 2022.

And in testimony before Congress in February, Marks dismissed the COVID-19 vaccine injury reports filed with VAERS, stating that numerous false reports are submitted to the database — a claim some experts have disputed.

As of today, the CDC continues to recommend the COVID-19 vaccines “for everyone ages 6 months and older, including people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or might become pregnant in the future.”

NIH researchers aware of vaccine injury studies in fall of 2021

The June 2024 tranche of NIH documents also revealed that, at least as early as fall 2021, researchers with the agency were aware of scientific studies and surveys highlighting serious adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination.

In a Sept. 2, 2021, email (pages 109-121), Farinaz Safavi, M.D., Ph.D., of the NIH Division of Neuroimmunology and Neurovirology was sent the results of the “Covid Vaccine Persistent Symptoms Survey” conducted by React19, a group advocating on behalf of COVID-19 vaccine injury victims.

The version of the survey included in the email was accurate as of Aug. 31, 2021, and contained the results of 382 questionnaires submitted by people “suffering persistent neurological symptoms after receiving the Sars-CoV2 Vaccine in the United States.”

According to those results, 71% of respondents said they had no preexisting health conditions prior to the symptoms they developed following their COVID-19 vaccination, and 94% said they had never previously experienced a reaction to other vaccines.

The most commonly reported symptoms included paresthesia, tinnitus, heart palpitations, tachycardia, chest pain, visual disturbance or loss, muscle twitching, joint pain, muscle aches, brain fog, fatigue and anxiety attacks.

Almost all respondents said these symptoms began less than two weeks following vaccination.

In a Nov. 15, 2021, email (pages 300-305), Nath was sent a scientific paper, “Neurological side effects of SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations,” authored by Austrian researcher Josef Finsterer, M.D., Ph.D.

According to this paper, “The most frequent neurological side effects of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are headache,” Guillain-Barré syndrome, venous sinus thrombosis and transverse myelitis.

“Safety concerns against SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are backed by an increasing number of studies reporting neurological side effects. … Healthcare professionals, particularly neurologists involved in the management of patients having undergone SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations, should be aware of these side effects and should stay vigilant to recognize them early and treat them adequately,” the paper concluded.

Nath received a review copy of this paper, which has since been published in Acta Neurologica Scandinavica.

And in a May 17, 2021, email (pages 292-299), Nath was sent a preprint of “Sudden Onset of Myelitis after COVID-19 Vaccination: An Under-Recognized Severe Rare Adverse Event,” co-authored by William E. Fitzsimmons, doctor of pharmacy, and Dr. Christopher S. Nance.

According to the preprint, “Myelitis has been reported as a complication of COVID-19 infection. However, it has rarely been reported as a complication of COVID-19 vaccination.”

The paper focused on the example of one of Fitzsimmons’ patients, a 63-year-old previously healthy male who developed myelitis after his second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine — and treatment that was effective in his case.

Other emails apparently sent by Fitzsimmons highlighted the injuries and the progression of treatment of this 63-year-old man (pages 145-150).

‘A blood clot as a cause of your paralysis would make the most sense’

In an email chain to Nath beginning Sept. 20, 2021, (pages 228-233) with the subject “Paralyzed after J&J Covid Vaccine,” the author (whose name is redacted) said that less than 24 hours following vaccination, the patient “lost bladder control.” He later developed a blood clot and erectile dysfunction, before becoming paralyzed.

In a response that day, Nath told the patient, “The temporal association of the symptoms with the vaccine does make is [sic] suspect, but I do not know of any way how to sort it out.”

In a follow-up email that day, Nath said, “A blood clot as a cause of your paralysis would make the most sense, however, proving cause and effect related to the vaccine in a single patient is virtually impossible.”

In a Dec. 13, 2021, email to Nath (pages 234-236), another vaccine injury victim, who “was healthy prior to vaccination,” described injuries following both doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, including paresthesia, tachycardia, severe tinnitus, intractable insomnia and “POTs-like symptoms.”

“I have been diligent and determined in seeking care near and far, but have continued to face skepticism, half-interest, and an inability to know how best to treat,” this person wrote.

And in a series of emails beginning Jan. 24, 2022, (pages 246-247), a “woman who was completely healthy before taking the Pfizer vaccines” told Nath about a series of neurological symptoms and inflammation she experienced following her second dose, in addition to symptoms like tinnitus, insomnia and brain fog.

“Why isn’t the NIH doing research on this?” she asked in a follow-up email on Jan. 25, 2022.

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EXCLUSIVE: Learn How The Secret Service Monitored Their Patsy’s Progress On July 13th

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Trump’s speech at the RNC.

Donald Trump delivered a hard hitting speech Thursday after he was nominated as the Republican presidential candidate at the Republican National Convention.

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EXCLUSIVE: Learn How The Secret Service Monitored Their Patsy’s Progress On July 13th

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Selective application of regulatory standards.

The incident involving Philippe Herlin’s remarks on CNews, a prominent French news channel, has stirred significant controversy and regulatory action.

Herlin, a notable economist, was given a platform to express his skepticism regarding anthropogenic global warming during a broadcast. He characterized climate change as a fabricated concept aimed at justifying state intervention, going so far as to describe it as a form of totalitarianism.

Neither the hosts of the program nor any other participants in the studio challenged his assertions. This lack of opposition on air ultimately led to repercussions for CNews.

The French media regulator, Arcom (formerly CSA), conducted an investigation and found that CNews had violated broadcasting standards by failing to ensure a balanced presentation of controversial viewpoints.

(Related: Trump announces plans to reject CBDCs, promote free speech in AI, ban government censorship and defund censorship institutions.)

As a result, Arcom imposed a €20,000 ($21,880) fine on the channel for allowing Herlin’s views to go unchallenged.

The fine has sparked considerable debate about the role of media regulation and the freedom of expression in France.

Selective application of regulatory standards

Critics point out that while Arcom insists on impartiality in broadcasting, there is a historical precedent of mainstream media outlets overwhelmingly promoting the consensus view on issues like climate change, often without giving adequate airtime to dissenting perspectives.

Herlin’s comments have become a focal point for discussions on journalistic integrity and the boundaries of free speech. His assertion that climate change discourse serves political agendasrather than scientific truth challenges the dominant narrative supported by many media outlets and governmental bodies

Moreover, the timing and nature of Arcom’s enforcement have raised suspicions of selective application of regulatory standards. Critics argue that the reaction to Herlin’s remarks reflects a broader concern within established circles about the potential impact of dissenting viewpoints on public opinion and policy decisions.

Four months ago, France’s highest administrative court ordered Arcom to conduct a thorough examination of whether CNews complies with regulations governing balanced and independent journalism.

The ruling marks a significant victory for Reporters sans Frontières (RSF), which petitioned the State Council to overturn Arcom’s previous decision not to investigate the channel often dubbed as the “French Fox News” by critics.

RSF had accused CNews of morphing into an “opinion media” outlet and alleged that Arcom had repeatedly disregarded calls to enforce the channel’s obligation to uphold “honesty, independence and pluralism” in its reporting.

The court’s directive compels Arcom to assess not only the diversity of political views during electoral periods but also the breadth of opinions expressed by columnists, presenters and guests across CNews‘ programming.

Christophe Deloire, RSF’s secretary-general, hailed the court’s decision as a “historic victory for democracy and journalism,” emphasizing the critical role of media pluralism in safeguarding democratic principles.

He underscored RSF’s decade-long advocacy for Arcom to exercise its regulatory powers effectively to ensure diverse factual and opinion-based content for citizens.

In previous actions, Arcom had fined CNews €200,000 ($218,796) in 2021 for broadcasting remarks by far-right commentator Éric Zemmour on the asylum system, which the regulator classified as hate speech. Zemmour, known for his controversial views and prior convictions related to hate speech, had been a prominent figure on CNews before his presidential candidacy in 2022 and remains a frequent guest.

Despite its rising viewership, surpassing BFMTV in December ratings, CNews has vehemently denied any political alignment and rejected comparisons to Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News.

Serge Nedjar, the channel’s director-general, emphasized its commitment to covering contentious topics like insecurity, immigration and identity, asserting that these subjects resonate with a broad segment of the French public.

In response to criticism about its editorial stance, Roch-Olivier Maistre, president of Arcom, acknowledged CNews‘ evolution towards an opinion-oriented format reminiscent of channels found in other countries, notably the United States. He clarified that while Arcom monitors political pluralism in terms of airtime given to politicians, the regulation does not extend to evaluating the viewpoints expressed by the channel’s commentators.

Follow Censorship.news for more news about people being censored in America and other parts of the world.

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EXCLUSIVE: Economist Reveals How Gold, Silver, And The US Dollar Went Up After Assassination Attempt

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