The image was shown in the course of a program on the topic of the migration crisis currently facing Europe, when the program's presenter Rainald Becker gave a rhetorical question about the effect that the influx of people will have on Germany, which is expected to receive up to 1.5 million migrants and refugees in 2015.
"How is life going to change? How will we react if refugees have problems with gender equality, with women' rights, with press freedom and freedom of expression?" Becker asked viewers, standing in front of the image of Merkel wearing a veil.
The producers of Report from Berlin responded to the criticism on Monday, on the program's Facebook page, claiming the image was a legitimate way of expressing the challenges being faced by German society.
Falls Sie mehr Informationen zu den Themen der heutigen Sendung haben möchten – besuchen Sie uns doch auf unserer…
Posted by Bericht aus Berlin on Sunday, 4 October 2015
The broadcast of 'Bericht aus Berlin' showed the illustration at 1:30.
"We are glad to hear the numerous criticisms of our illustration in yesterday's Report from Berlin, and very much regret that some disagreed with our representation of the Chancellor, or even misunderstood it."
"Of course, it was also the aim of this artwork to gain attention and polarize. In our understanding of ourselves as journalists, we believe this form of pointed representation to be legitimate. We categorically reject any insinuation of Islamophobic propaganda."
