Anas Modamani attracted a lot of attention in Germany when he managed to take a selfie with Angela Merkel a few months ago. Now the photo is being circulated again, this time by trolls who say he's a Brussels bomber.
Image: Anas Modamani
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Posts comparing Syrian refugee Anas Modamani's selfie with the police mugshot of Brussels suicide bomber Najim Laachraoui soon went viral on Facebook and Twitter.
Some users pointed out a "striking likeness" between the two men, while others stated outright that German Chancellor Angela Merkel had "taken a selfie with one of the Brussels suicide bombers" and that the photo showed a terrorist "posing as a refugee."
Hacktivist group Anonymous also shared a post about the selfie on its German Facebook site, which has almost 2 million followers.
For Modamani, the situation would be laughable if it wasn't so disturbing. Najim Laachraoui was identified as the second suicide bomber who blew himself up at Brussels airport on Tuesday. Police say the Belgian citizen's DNA was also found on a suicide vest used in the Paris attacks last November.
Modamani told DW over the phone he was saddened by how the photo was being used online. The 19-year-old Syrian fled bombing in Damascus and arrived in Germany in September 2015. Since the beginning of the year he's been living with a German foster family in Berlin, where he also goes to German language classes.
The publicity generated by his selfie with Merkel helped Anas find his German foster familyImage: Anas Modamani
Modamani's friend, Liang Cheng, who was with him on the line, said the posts doing their rounds on social media comparing Modamani to a terrorist were unbelievable, "lies with absolutely no basis."
"He lives in Berlin with his German family, he goes to school everyday, it's not even possible for him to go to Brussels!" Cheng said. "Unfortunately, these lies on the internet spread very quickly, but there's no truth to them."
He said Modamani hopes to bring his family to Germany in the future, and at first had worried that police and others in Germany might actually believe there's something to the rumors on social media.
For more, DW has put together this gallery about Anas Modamani and his journey to Germany:
How a selfie with Merkel changed a refugee's life
Are you addicted to taking selfies? Or do you laugh them off as a trend among teenagers? For Anas Modamani one particular selfie proved to be life-changing.
Image: Anas Modamani
Meeting Angela Merkel
While in a refugee camp in Berlin Spandau, Anas Modamani heard that the German Chancellor Angela Merkel was coming for a visit and would be talking to refugees. The 19-year-old Syrian, who is quite fond of social media, went to take a selfie. He was hoping for the selfie to inspire a real change in his life..
Image: Anas Modamani
Escape to Europe
When Modamani's house in Damascus was bombed, he fled with his parents and siblings to a smaller city called Garia. That is when Anas fled for Europe in the hope that his family could join him there, once he had made it. He first traveled to Lebanon and from there to Turkey and then on to Greece.
Image: Anas Modamani
Dangerous journey
Anas almost died on the way. In order to get to Greece from Turkey he had to travel in a rubber boat, like most refugees. Anas says the boat was overcrowded and eventually capsized and he almost drowned.
Image: Anas Modamani
Five weeks by foot
From Greece Anas traveled by foot to Macedonia. He continued to Hungary and Austria. In September 2015, he reached his final destination: Munich. Once in Germany, he decided he wants to move to Berlin. He has been living there ever since.
Image: Anas Modamani
Waiting for an asylum
Upon arrival to Berlin, Anas spent entire days in front of the LaGeSo, a refugee center in the city. The 19-year-old says that the situation at the LaGeSo was difficult, especially during the winter. Eventually he was sent to the refugee center in Berlin Spandau. He wanted to raise awareness to his situation as a refugee and a selfie with Merkel seemed like the perfect chance to do exactly that.
Image: Anas Modamani
A family at last
Anas says that the selfie with Chancellor Merkel was a life-changer for him. He got a lot of media attention after the photo was published online, and that is how his German foster family became aware of him. He has been living with them for 2 months now. They have been supporting him ever since he became a member of their family.
Image: Anas Modamani
Missing home
Since living with the Meeuw's Anas is happier than ever before. He is doing a German language course, has made a lot of friends and is doing a lot of cultural activities. He graduated high school in Syria and wants to pursue higher studies in Germany. But his main aim right now is to be officially granted asylum and to be able to bring his family to Germany as well.
Image: Anas Modamani
Negative sentiment towards refugees
Anas is hoping for a good and safe life in Germany. But he is worried about the current sentiment towards refugees in the country. He thinks that the negative mood might escalate and have an impact on the laws in regard to refugees. Anas fears that he might not be granted asylum after all, thus ending his dream of bringing his family to Germany.
