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Germany: Rise of Xenophobic AfD Party Worries Jewish And Muslim Groups

The rise of far right party, AfD, in Germany, well known for its explicitly Islamophobic agenda is worrying minority groups who are particularly targeted by the group’s agenda.

via. Huffington Post

Opinion polls suggest that the populist Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, will shine in the upcoming state elections ― in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Sept. 4 and in Berlin two weeks later ― which is provoking anxiety among members of Germany’s Muslim and Jewish communities.

The AfD was founded in 2013 as a hardline Eurosceptic party, but has now shifted towards an anti-immigration agenda. Its popularity has soared in recent months, in tandem with growing security concerns and agitation over the integration of the more than 1 million — mostly Muslim — migrants that have arrived in Germany last year.

Earlier this year, AfD approved a manifesto that states “Islam is not a part of Germany,” and proposes a ban on the call to prayer and face veils in public places.

“Orthodox Islam, which does not respect our legal system, or even challenges it, and which claims dominance as the only valid religion, is not compatible with our legal system or with our culture,” the party’s manifesto said.

Muslims, however, are not the only group threatened by the rise of the populist party.

“The Jewish community in Germany is following the rise of the AfD with concern,” Josef Schuster, president of Germany’s Central Council of Jews, told HuffPost Germany. “They’re spreading fear and prejudice, thereby endangering the cohesion of our society.”

In addition to exhibiting “serious intolerance for Muslims and other minorities in our country,” Schuster says, the party’s platform is “against Jewish life.”

AfD’s draft manifesto published on April 30, 2016, referred to the circumcision of boys as “serious violations of fundamental rights,” a position that Israeli daily Haaretz said is “easily viewed as targeting the Jewish community.”

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    • Khizer

      Yes I agree, people should move on and invest their time in their new religion/atheism istead of railing against their former communities, I believe it is due to feeling ‘wronged’ (but $$$, and attention always helps) in some way, I’m not sure why but I heard this is one of the reasons for their antagonistic attitude against their former communities.

    • Just_Stopping_By

      I’m a bit late to reply, but I think you and Ilisha have a point about the viciousness of some ex-Muslims. I have almost always found issue with those who promote themselves as anti-something at the expense of being pro-something. If you leave a religion, you should invest your energy in doing good works as part of your new religion or your new atheism (not meaning New Atheism) or whatever you believe in.

      Similarly, there are obviously lots of religions that I don’t believe in, but I have no interest in engaging in theological disputes with them; their supporters to their beliefs and me to mine.

      I suppose I might have some more respect for the loud ex-Muslims if they at least put as much time and energy into something like helping house and support people fleeing from their families because they change their religion — something that happens not just among Muslims, obviously. But, when someone’s tactic is more to incite anger at a group they disagree with than to support those that they do agree with, I tend to find that tactic and attitude very offputting.

    • Khizer

      OH MY GOD!!!

      Everything makes sense now! The liberal Muslamo-fascists are soo cunning with their eeeeeevvviiilll words of deciet and lies, you truly broke the code brother! Anyone who doesn’t lump all war torn refugees and their families with pedophiles and rapists (pppppppfffff we white straight males CLEARLY don’t have the same amongst us, we are all innocent butterflies….) is a fookin evil, rape supporting, politically correct, gay libtard who wishes to take OUR FREEEDOMZZ.

      (Sarcasm)

      Seriously though, go back to 4chan, reddit, YouTube, etc. and bitch about big scary Ayrab men with other human thrash and debate whether it is ‘humane’ to castrate every Syrian refugee man entering

    • Faithful Christian

      —LiberalSpeak Dictionary— Word: xenophobia/Islamophobia Definition: anti-terrorism Example: “Oh no! That Swedish woman won’t let that Muslim into her bedroom! Such a Islamophobic xenophobe!

      Word: bigotry Definition: disagreement against leftist views, opinions, or ideologies. Example: “Oh no! He doesn’t want those ACSA(adult-child-sexual-attraction) supporters to go into the girls’ restroom! Bigotry at it’s finest!”.

      Word: racist Definition: someone who disagrees with leftist views, opinions, or ideologies. Example: “Oh no! He’s a white straight male! He’s racist!”.

      Word: loon Definition: someone who disagrees with leftist views, opinions, or ideologies. Example: “Oh no! He doesn’t believe that WTC7 collapsed vertically at free fall speed because of a fire on the roof! Such a loon!”.

      Word: hate Definition: something who disagrees with leftist views, opinions, or ideologies. Example: “Oh dear. This anti-NAMBLA article has so much hate in it”.

    • Khizer

      You are right regarding the target audience, but in my eyes, I see ignorance growing a lot these days. The economy is hitting hard and is slowly getting at rock bottom in most of the west these days. People are slowly getting more and more poorer, and not able to consistently keep up their middle class lifestyle, and people are getting more and more angry, and they want answers, simple answers to complex questions. More and more people are starting to disregard the Muslims of their dignity, they will ignore the pleas of Muslims who suffer discrimination and soon violence. In their eyes, we desreves it. the economy in the west is dwindling, people are getting more and more angry, and less rational, Muslims (in this day and age) are a great scapegoat, and people will just need a ‘little’ dis information to give them that push to just attack Muslims. Identify politics are very strong in this day and age, one of the U.S. presidential candidates (Trump) was psycho who used such politics to gain a lot of support, he was A U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANIDIDATE, HE WAS A FEW STEPS AWAY FROM PRESIDENTSY OF THE WORLDS MOST MILITARILY POWERFULL NATION. He too was a very popular candidate. In a few years, when the economy is further down and more people are angry/less rational, the likely of another candidate like Trump getting elected would increase. The ignorant people susceptible to the trash these venomous ‘ex-Muslims’ peddle, is slowly growing. arrogant and ignorant fools, with the right amount if disinformation (MO WAS A PEDOOO, MO’s WIVES WERE ALL CONCUBINES, HENCE ALL MUSLIMS BELIEVE ALL THIS IS A OKAYYYY) will lash out and definately harm someone. I live in Pakistan, the poor here (which are pretty much the majority) are easily susceptible to lies regarding Christian/Hindu minorities, you can tell them that Pakistani Christians support the West’s constant destruction and plundering of their country, and they will be live it and burn any church down. My Psychology teacher once told me that, despite what we tell ourselves, we can all become savage, only in the right conditions. In the right conditions, people will abandon civility and embrace rage, and do things they would consider morally repugnant, but they would still do it, especially after being fed lies regarding a minority’s beliefs, they would start to not tell the difference between the religion itself and the adherents. The target audience for these screeching ‘ex-Muslims’ are growing, the dumb, mean, aggressive attitude amongst people is growing a lot.

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