Madeleine McCann: Let’s Blame The Muslims

MADDIE WATCH – Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann: The McCanns has aked the police to create an image of Our Maddie as she might look now. There is also a video. The media gets to work:

Sky News: “Pictures Of Madeleine McCann, Aged Six”

Police have released new age-enhanced pictures of Madeleine McCann. This is how Madeleine McCann would look now, aged six. We’ve seen similar artist’s impressions before.

There’s a video of the missing child in seven languages, on the website of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre. One picture shows her with a deep suntan she might have developed if she is living in southern Europe or North Africa.

Says Ceop’s head Jim Gamble:

“The person we are looking to reach is likely to be a partner, family member, friend or colleague of the person or people who were involved in Madeleine’s disappearance. If you haven’t divulged your secret because of love, loyalty or fear, be assured that it is never too late to reveal the information to your local police…

“If you are a parent or carer, a student or member of the public who is a social networker, blogger or emailer, or if you run any type of online environment, big or small, please look at the film today, link to it, share it with your friends and post it in the online communities you occupy.”

That’s Ceop. Never heard of it? You have now.

Those front pages:

Daily Star (front page): “Is Maddie a Muslim?”

She’s too young to wear a veil, so all hope is not lost…

The Sun (front page): “MADDIE IN MOROCCO?”

Metro (front page): “Is this Maddie?”

No. It’s a computer-aided picture.

Daily Mirror (front page): “MADDY?”

No. Still not her. Maddy or Maddie – discuss?

Daily Express (front page): “MADDIE”

It’s her. The Express is certain. No questions here.

The Darkies

The Sun: Cops’ pics of how Maddie might look abroad

THESE startling new images show how missing Madeleine McCann’s appearance could have dramatically changed if kidnappers are holding her in North Africa, as detectives believe. Cops say Maddie’s captors may have dyed her hair dark brown to make her look like other kids in Morocco or Tunisia.

That’s where zey lurve zer leetle blondie girrrls, so much so thet they steal them and die their hair dark.

Spokesman Clarence Mitchell said: “Kate feels North Africa is very important in the search. That is based on her research – North Africa is one of the top areas for organised child trafficking – on top of a mother’s gut feeling.”

Daily Star: “MUSLIM MADDIE”

Because only Muslims are darkies and only Muslims might take our Great British blonde kids?

BRITISH police believe Madeleine McCann could now be living as a Muslim. They think she might have been held captive in the human trafficking haven of North Africa. Detectives last night launched a global internet appeal urging people to help catch Maddie’s kidnapper.

They also released an image showing how the youngster, who vanished in Portugal in May 2007, would now look if she had been raised by Arabs.

Get the darkies! And find the Arab’s yacht!

The Hope

Daily Mirror: “THE TWO FACES OF MADELEINE”

Mr Gamble is convinced Madeleine may still be alive and pointed to the case of American teenager Jaycee Dugard as evidence. He added: “I’ve reviewed cases of children who turned up four, eight, 18 years later. Statisticians do that most awful of thing, taking away people’s hope.”

Daily Express: “MCCANNS: HELP US TO BRING HER HOME”

From being the McCanns’ pariah, the Express is now at the heart of the Our Maddie story: “HELP US.”

The “age-progressed” photos are part of a unique 60-second film released in seven languages across the internet today. “A Minute for Madeleine,” endorsed by Kate and Gerry McCann, is not targeted at the abductor but at his relatives, friends and associates.

A Minute For Madeleine. No Stone Unturned. Look Into My eyes. Our Maddie is a hunt for an innocent child run by a marketing committee.

The Columnists

Daily Mirror, Sue Carroll: “For Kate’s sake, don’t give up on Maddy McCann”

Not for Maddy’s sake, then?

For most of us, the events in Portugal’s Praia da Luz three summers ago are now a blur – a distant unhappy memory of lighting candles, prayers and appeals for a little girl snatched from a holiday apartment.

Well, no. Our Maddy has been in the news almost constantly, sometimes the subject of a torrent of non-news, at other times a trickle.

But then something happens to remind us of Madeleine McCann and once again we catch our breath and try to imagine the misery her parents, Gerry and Kate, experience every day as another reminder of their missing daughter emerges in a child’s laughter or a little girl’s sudden captivating smile.

Nothing happens. All we get is a PR-led campaign to find the innocent child, which the tabloid media seizes upon as an easy way to prick our misery ducts and create emotion and sensation. All we do is stare.

The Video