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The Italian-Ukrainian model Anna Haholkina involuntarily became part of the far-right League’s campaign.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini’s party used her photo on an anti-Islamic poster, British The Guardian wrote.
There are two images on the mentioned posters: One – with the likeness of Haholkina – is supposed to represent a single Western woman. On the second, there is a woman in a niqab, i.e. with her face covered. All this is accompanied by the text “Which side do you want to be on?”.
The image of the model comes from a site that provides them for free use. However, the provider’s rules state that photos may not be used for election or political campaign purposes.
Anna Haholkina said she was taken aback by her likeness on the posters, which she called racist. “No one has contacted me to ask for permission,” she said, adding that she would consult with lawyers about the next course of action.
The League is intensifying its anti-Islam approach ahead of the upcoming European Parliament elections. Salvini described it as a referendum on the future of Europe, which will decide whether it will still exist or become a “Sino-Islamic colony”.
More than 1.6 million people in Italy are Muslim, although Islam is not an officially recognized religion here. There are around ten officially recognized mosques in the country. The current Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, has been fighting against the Islamization of Europe for a long time.
