Disinfo: France is banning Christmas symbols

Summary

France is banning Christmas symbols. It has announced to set up a counter-terror prosecutor’s office, but actually France is not fighting with terrorists and jihadists but with its own Christian past. No one says it out loud that all this is done to please the liberals and their “best friends” – radical islamists.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation. In France religious symbols are prohibited from public institutions as an application of the principle of the separation of church and state. For background on the legislation, that also bans Muslim headscarves and Jewish skullcaps, read more here. Further debunking by the Insider.

publication/media

  • Reported in: Issue 93
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 20/12/2017
  • Outlet language(s) Russian
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: France
  • Keywords: Jihad, Islamic extremism, Christmas, Christianity, Terrorism
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Disinfo: US Ambassador urged Moldovan Parliament to pass the law against "Russian propaganda"

The US Ambassador to Moldova, James Pettit, demanded that the Parliament prohibit the broadcasting of Russian TV channels. He expressed the hope that this is “a step in the fight against disinformation”.

Disproof

In fact, the US ambassador did not speak about the law passed by the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova on December 7, 2017. He just called for a new Code of Television and Radio, which would fully comply with the EU standards, both with regard to foreign propaganda and internal propaganda. According the fact-checking by API, he stated that foreign propaganda is a problem in Moldova, and the United States understand the risks of Russian disinformation. But, he continued, Moldova also faces a problem of internal control over the media. This situation does not only threaten the independence of the media in Moldova, but also generates news that can be characterised as different forms of propaganda from internal sources, the ambassador said.

Disinfo: Newspaper Helsingin Sanomat is a kind of headquarters of Nato in Finland

The US and the UK want to revenge themselves on the President of Finland Sauli Niinistö and organise a hybrid war against Finland. They use their agent, newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, as an accomplice. The newspaper is a kind of headquarters of Nato to manipulate the brains of Finnish people.

Disproof

No evidence given. The US, UK and Finland are partners. Helsingin Sanomat is an independent Finnish newspaper and has no connection to Nato. www.britannica.com/topic/Helsingin-Sanomat, Read more for the background: yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/mondays_papers_intelligence_documents_leak_heavy_concert_accident_the_jobs_in_your_genes/9981816,

Disinfo: The Venice Commission published an opinion about the facts of gross discrimination of Russian language and minority languages in the Edcuation Law of Ukraine

On December 10, the Venice Commission published an opinion about the facts of gross discrimination of Russian language and minority languages in the Edcuation Law

Disproof

Misleading. In fact, the Venice Commission does not mention “facts of gross discrimination” but states: "However, paragraph 4 of Article 7 provides no solution for languages which are not official languages of the EU, in particular the Russian language, as the most widely used language apart from the state language. The less favourable treatment of these languages is difficult to justify and therefore raises issues of discrimination." The Venice Commission recommends in particular:  to enter, within the framework of the implementation of the new Education Law, into a new dialogue with representatives of national minorities and all interested parties on the language of education.  to ensure that the implementation of the Law does not endanger the preservation of the minorities’ cultural heritage and the continuity of minority language education in traditional schools. www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/?pdf=CDL-AD(2017)030-e, . Further debunking by Stopfake.org www.stopfake.org/manipulyatsiya-venetsianskaya-komissiya-priznala-diskriminatsiyu-russkogo-yazyka-v-ukraine/, .