An association called Pro-Cologne organized an “anti-Islamification” congress in the German city of Cologne. It was essentially a gathering of those who oppose the construction of a large mosque with two minarets in Cologne, and they wished to express their protest in a more organized manner.
Speeches delivered at this far-right congress have condemned what they call the “Islamization and invasion by foreigners” of their country.
The organizers perceive the growing number of Muslim and non-European citizens in Germany -- and Europe in general -- as a common threat. They thus invited extreme-right leaders from Austria and France to attend this rally. But French National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen and Austrian right-wing politician Heinz-Christian Strache did not answer this invitation. They probably thought that every nation's racism should remain a domestic matter.
This association's members stress that they are not against the presence of different “cultural” colors in Cologne, where one of every eight inhabitants is Muslim. However, it appears that they cannot stand it when these “colors” are too Asiatic or African. The reasons for this refusal can be found in Germany's cultural and political balances, economic conditions, the realities of globalization and immigration pressure. Of course, racism has nothing to be debated about, but one can discuss why some people become racist. However, if those who oppose the presence of foreigners or Muslims in their country espouse violent rhetoric or actions, there is no place for discussion anyway, as violence is simply a crime.
It is obvious that racist, segregationist or xenophobic approaches are harmful -- especially for the society that extremists claim to be protecting. Because of the activities of groups like Pro-Cologne, people of different origins tend to isolate themselves. As a result, the society becomes the aggregation of small disconnected groups instead of an integrated mosaic. When the Muslims, Turks or other groups lock themselves up in ghettos, contact between diverging social groups becomes very rare and everyone becomes more racist because each nationalism reinforces other nationalisms. The necessity of protecting the victims of these nationalisms has both positive and negative effects. Muslims and foreigners also behave incorrectly, but they cannot be condemned because they are continuously attacked by far-right militants. In other words, these groups get the possibility to justify all of their actions as a result of their victimization.
Fortunately, in Germany and elsewhere, there are people who have dedicated themselves to making coexistence possible between different religions, languages, cultures and ethnicities. Fortunately again, those who fight against racism and xenophobia and those who defend multiculturalism and develop policies accordingly outnumber the racists. Nevertheless, it is possible to observe that even the most democratic, humanistic and anti-racist political figure can sometimes use words that can encourage extremists. The same observation is also true of the media.
In Cologne's case, Turkish media largely covered German citizens, political parties and NGOs that protested against racists, that criticized nationalism or that actively fight against xenophobia. We've also read how a Turk, while running away from racist assailants, sought refuge in a German police station. This Turk's attitude is the symbol that some things are changing. Instead of waiting for the politicians, maybe it is time for people to act to accelerate this change. The fight against racism and xenophobia can be maintained only through the solidarity between different societies.
TODAYSZAMAN
