Prague, Dec 1 (CTK) – Jitka Chalankova, a new deputy head of the Czech rightist opposition TOP 09, has protested against being linked with a controversial anti-Islam movement, regardless of a photo from June in which she poses after signing a petition against the EU mandatory migrant quotas.
The photo was made in Olomouc, north Moravia, and it has remained unnoticed on the Internet since June, the Bloc Against Islam spokesman David Stepan said on Monday.
“I signed the petition that stands up against the mandatory migrant quotas. I signed it as a step in defence of Christian values,” Chalankova said in a press release.
She said she does not cooperate with the Bloc Against Islam movement of Martin Konvicka, who was recently accused of fomenting hatred of Muslims, nor does she attend events organised by the Bloc.
Miroslav Kalousek, the newly elected chairman of TOP 09, which is the leading Czech right-wing party, labelled Chalankova´s signature of the petition “a silliness” and he told Czech Television that it would be even “a bigger silliness to believe that lawmaker Chalankova is a xenophobe.”
“I have never backed and I will not back any extremist movements. I consider the misuse of the photo with my portrait for the promotion of the [anti-Islam] movement outrageous,” Chalankova said.
In reaction to her, Stepan said it is regrettable that Chalankova´s party colleagues probably have forced her into self-criticism.
Chalankova emphasised that her approach to the migrant problem corresponds to the approach of TOP 09.
At its weekend congress, which elected Chalankova one of the party´s deputy chairpersons, TOP 09 repeatedly emphasised that the refugees who flow to Europe have fled murderers in their home regions, which is why they must be helped.
The petition Chalankova signed in June demands that the Czech government reject all proposals for the introduction of mandatory refugee quotas and says the granting of asylum should remain within the powers of national states.
The petition, signed by about 45,000 people in three weeks, argues that a mass acceptance of culturally different migrants, mainly Muslims, poses security and economic risks.
Representatives of the Bloc Against Islam group handed the petition over to lawmakers for the Dawn opposition movement and asked for it to be discussed by the lower house´s petition committee.
