Daily Times

German Alternativfür Deutschland (Alternative for Germany) or AfD’s stance regarding minorities including Jews and Muslims is gaining traction. However, one argues that this increasing momentum is an effect rather being a cause. Interestingly, on one hand, it reflects the cyclic nature of history, as it was the British historian Arnold Toynbeewho advocated it. A century ago, in October 1919, Europe was in turmoil, and Germany was stripped of its land and people along with foreign territories by the virtue of the Treaty of Versailles enforced on Germany in June 1919.

It is pertinent to mention that if one looks back another century, in October 1819, Western Europe was in relative turmoil while recovering from the destruction caused by the Napoleonic Wars. However, the Concert of Europe and the Treaty of Vienna were among those measures that steadily stabilised Europe. Nevertheless, the point to ponder is that these international agreements and the preceding events sowed the seeds of Nationalism, which culminated in the Italian and German Wars of Unification.

On the other hand, violent extremism in Germany is the legacy of its National Socialist German Workers Party, commonly known as the Nazi Party, and its militant wings such as the Sturmabteilung, the Storm Troopers, or commonly known as the Brown Shirts. It is an undeniable fact that Chancellor Angela Merkel has adopted remarkable policies of strategic restraint. Such policies reflected in her decisions on the Russian Annexation of Crimea in March 2014, and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the Iranian Nuclear Programme. However, the ruling coalition of the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats have given unprecedented latitude and access to immigrants coming from the war zones of the Middle East by making them a permanent part of the German society. Historically, the Weimar Republic was one of the finest models of liberal democracy and Germany still carries the legacy. Nonetheless, the far right in Germany is not ready to accept that structural reality.

The Neo-Nazi ideology retains the potential to intensify violent extremism in various parts of Germany

The German police raided right wing extremists over mosque bomb threats in Bavaria in October this year. The threats were made by organisations such as ‘Volksfront’, ‘Combat 18’ and ‘Blood & Honour’. In the same month, a synagogue was attacked in Halle, Eastern Germany; two Jews died occurred.. The attack brought enormous pressure on the AfD. The Holocaust survivor Charlotte Knobloch said, “How quickly the words of political extremists can get turned into action,” and accused the AfD of “paving the way for this with its culture of hatred and incitement.” However, it can be deduced adamantly that right wing politics and violent extremism is on the rise in Germany.

Alternatively, the analysis would remain relatively biased if one deliberately ignores the standpoint of the AfD and other right wing organisations. Factually, the AfD secured 94 seats in the Bundestag (Federal German parliament) in the 2017 federal elections, and secured 12.6 percent of the popular vote. They believe that the immigration policy erodes German culture and the influx of almost one million refugees, mostly, Muslims, could greatly restrict welfare opportunities for ethnic Germans. Apart from AfD’s stance, its former virulent leader Arthur Wagner embraced Islam in January 2018.

Besides de-Nazification of the German nation, the footprint of Nazism and Hitler’s Mein Kampf is clear as day. However, the Neo-Nazi ideology retains the potential to intensify violent extremism in various parts of Germany, more specifically, the eastern Germany. While keeping in view AfD’s growing political tentacles, the German government may restrict immigrants to specialised camps, reminiscent of displaced Palestinians living in Jordanian and Syrian border towns. In this way, AfD’s stance on Muslims in eroding German culture can be minimised. Nevertheless, Germany’s population is suffering from a serious decline in birth rate and is becoming hard to sustain on its own.

The writer can be reached at mmab11@gmail.com