Response to Mariam Jooma Carikci (Media Review Network) – IOL article Monday 25 November

By Daniel Bloch

On November 25, an article by Media Review Network researcher Mariam Jooma Carikci appeared on IOL. Entitled ‘Israel is turning up the smokescreen to obscure the ICC’s warrant for Netanyahu’, it highlighted the consistently unprofessional and poor quality of journalism emanating from the Media Review Network. While predominantly focusing on Israel and Marika Sboros’ critique of Gift of the Givers’ Dr Imtiaaz Sooliman, Carikci also included a paragraph defending the actions of Mehmet Vefa Dag, who the Cape Council of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) is taking to the Equality Court for hate speech.

Carikci claims to be a researcher, yet it is clear that she made no attempt to research Mehmet Vefa Dag’s social media hate posts, nor did she take the trouble to read through the file with regard to the Equality Court case against Mr Dag. Instead she accuses the SAJBD of confusing Zionism and Judaism. As she writes, “In a recent case brought against Mehmet Vefa Dag by the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) the board claimed that Dag had engaged in hate speech because of his critique of Zionism. The conflation of the political, colonial ideology of Zionism with the religion of Moses (a prophet dear to Muslims as well) is a slap in the face for those holocaust victims who vowed to say ‘never again’ to any kind of oppression for ANY group of people.” 

Allow me to clarify things for you Ms Carikci – it is you and your organisation, the Media Review Network, who cannot distinguish between antisemitism – hatred towards Jews and your hatred for Zionism. 

There are more than 30 posts in the case file against Mr Dag that unambiguously revealing him to be an out-and-out Jew hater and racist. They include such statements as “South Africa will not be prosperous unless we cleanse South Africa from the Jews”, “Jews are biggest problem on this earth” and “Raise your hand if you are sick and tired of jews terrorizing the planet” (this last comment was accompanied by an image of Adolf Hitler giving a Nazi salute). South African legislation, most notably the recently gazetted Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate speech Act, No. 16 of 2023, defines hate speech as the intentional communication of anything that could reasonably be interpreted as: Incitement of harm and Promotion of hatred. What Dag posts self-evidently falls into that category.

Below are a few representative examples both from the case file and which Dag has posted subsequently. It should be noted that in none of them do the words ‘Israel’ and ‘Zionism’ appear at all. This only serves to underline the sheer dishonesty of Mariam Jooma Carikci when she writes that all Dag was doing was engaging in “a critique of Zionism”.

It is concerning enough that Ms Carikci and the Media Review Network support an individual who is rabidly antisemitic and has a clear hatred for Jewish people.  A search through his profile will also show that Mr Dag nurses a deep hatred for other groups as well. Has Ms Carikci read Dag’s post on X dated 12 November, where he clearly states that he is against the LGBTQIA+ community, Jewish community, White Afrikaaners, foreigners, tribal customs and more (see below). By supporting Mehmet Dag, both Ms Carikci and the Media Review Network are not only supporting antisemitism. It appears that they also endorse xenophobia, homophobia and racism as well. 

Perhaps the Media Review Network should consider who they use to research information for their articles. It seems as though Ms Carikci has either oversold her qualifications or has exposed both her and her organisation’s true feelings and intentions towards the South African community.

* Daniel Bloch, Executive Director, Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies.

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.