A Hungarian political has been accused of “spouting xenophobic filth” after suggesting that placing pig heads along his country’s vast border fence would help to further deter Muslim refugees from illegally entering.
Gyorgy Schopflin, of the nation’s ruling Fidesz party, made the comment in response to a tweet from Human Rights Watch director Andrew Stroehlein, who slammed Hungary’s use of masks fashioned from vegetables to ward off migrants.
Some more scarecrows at the #Hungary-an border fence, put out to frighten #migrants. Source: https://t.co/CAGdMtN2hU pic.twitter.com/K2wrUoEdQV
— Szabolcs Panyi (@panyiszabolcs) August 15, 2016
From The Sun:
Mr Stroehlein tweeted: “Refugees are fleeing war & torture, Hungary.
“Your root vegetable heads will not deter them.”
Indignant, Mr Schopflin replied: “Might do so.
“Human images are haram.
“But agree, pig’s head would deter more effectively.”
“Your words are disgusting,” said Stroehlein in response. “I would expect that from anonymous neo-Nazi trolls but you’re an MEP. Act like one. You are an embarrassment to Hungary, to Europe & to humanity.”
Schopflin has refused to apologize, instead stating that the criticism hurdled at him is “beginning to resemble hate speech.”
In March 2015, Hungary declared a state of emergency in response to the European refugee crisis and deployed 1,500 extra security officers to the border to deny refugees entry.
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