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Accusation of racism against Monika Gruber

It was a shock for blogger Mukherjee: her name in a book! Monika Gruber takes issue with a post on X in which Mukherjee warns against women who use hobbies such as knitting for right-wing propaganda. Satire, says the publisher. But Mukherjee can't laugh - for good reason.

Literature - Accusation of racism against Monika Gruber

There are accusations of racism against cabaret artist Monika Gruber because of a passage in her book "Welcome to the wrong movie". The reason is a passage about the blogger Roma Maria Mukherjee, who warned in March in a post on X, formerly Twitter, about the infiltration of hobby courses for handicrafts by right-wing extremist women. According to the book, this is nonsense and Mukherjee is a guardian of virtue. What a woman of this name is doing in the textile hobby scene is a mystery; one would have "rather placed her in tantric Shakra gymnastics or a vegan primal scream seminar". Several media outlets had previously reported.

Mukherjee finds the passage offensive, racist and defamatory. In addition, her full real name is mentioned. She also criticizes the question posed in the book: "Is Roma Maria Mukherjee perhaps just called "Maria Müller" in real life and has simply changed her name, as both her first name and surname sound a lot like "Bund deutscher Mädel"? Of course, that would be illegitimate cultural appropriation".

Mukherjee's reaction: "Maria Müller can knit, Roma Maria Mukherjee can only do tantra, that's racist," she told the German Press Agency in Munich. It also denies her identity. There is also a sexual component. And it was suggested that someone like her could not be knowledgeable about topics such as right-wing extremism. Yet she had studied the subject intensively during her degree in education.

Mukherjee, who works as a practice manager in the healthcare sector, was made aware of the passage on Friday and expressed her horror on X. Since then, she has received a lot of support online. Since then, she has received a lot of support online, but there has also been a smear campaign. She has received threats of rape and even murder, she said.

Gruber and her co-author, journalist Andreas Hock, did not respond to requests for comment. The Munich-based Piper Verlag explained that they were discussing with them how the passage could be changed in books, audio books and e-books. This change is expected to take effect from January 11th, probably a few days earlier for e-books, the publisher announced on Thursday. Piper stands for diversity of opinion and tolerance in its programs. The publisher did not want to offend or offend anyone personally. A public post on X, formerly Twitter, had been targeted with the exaggerated means of satire.

Mukherjee is disappointed by the publisher's reaction. Piper had announced on X that it would adapt the passage for the next edition. "A classic nonpology", a non-apology, she wrote in a post. The publisher had not contacted her by Thursday afternoon. Piper had explained that they were not yet in direct contact with Mukherjee.

After the dispute had been raging online for several days, Gruber spoke out on Wednesday. She posted a screenshot of her book with the words: "No comment, no judgement... just somehow... well: Very fucking funny!" ("No comment, no judgement... just somehow... well: fucking funny"). The book was already praised six weeks ago by Piper publisher Felicitas Lovenberg: "A high, smart and cheerful visit today", she wrote on Instagram accompanying a photo of the authors. Gruber and Hock had signed a few copies, "and brought a lot of the good humor that makes up their book".

Roma Maria Mukherjee on X Monika Gruber on Instagram Felicitas von Lovenberg on Instagram BR 24 on the debate Debate in the mirror Piper Verlag on X Original tweet Roma Maria Mukherjee

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Source: www.stern.de

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