Excerpt:
The Austrian Carnival Guild has released a set of guidelines for Fasching, the Catholic carnival celebrations which run up until Lent. Jokes about refugees, foreigners, and minorities are out, as are "hurtful attacks on defenceless people, mockery and malice".
The Guild's code of ethics also cautions against the use of 'misplaced' irony and sarcasm.
"People should be aware of the effect of such jokes. Anything which drags human dignity or faith in the dirt is not allowed," Adi Mittendorfer, president of the Austrian Carnival Guild, said. The new guidelines are now in line with those in Germany and Switzerland.