Pegida – Have people learned nothing from history?
I despair every time I turn on the German news and hear about another demonstration taking place, with people gathering as a group calling themselves ‘Pegida’, Patriotic Europeans Against the ‘Islamisation’ of the West, (or followers in other cities such as ‘Dügida’ or ‘Bärgida’). These groups have made it their terrifying mission to save Germany and Europe from a so-called ‘islamisation’ allegedly caused by high numbers of refugees. Have those people not learned anything from the past? Has the atrocious outcome of the victimisation of an entire group of people been forgotten? Those people gathering every week and marching down the streets of German cities, waving German flags, sporting crucifixes and shouting “we are the people”, (ironically a slogan used by the people of the former GDR to demonstrate against their authoritarian government) are claiming refugees and immigrants to bring Islam into Germany’s everyday life. With the growing media presence of ISIS, the group voiced confidently in front of cameras their fear of ISIS fighters coming to Germany and beheading people. Others claim that it is the fault of Islam that pensions are dropping – obviously without giving an explanation for any supposed connection between the two.
Germany is a country where throughout the last several decades, different cultures and religions have left their mark. They have formed and influenced the country as it is today. Diversity and multiculturalism are an every-day part of life, and we should all be aware of how enriching that is.
As our former president has said, Islam is a part of Germany. We live in one of the most privileged places on the planet and thus it is essential that people from places where they suffer prosecution, pain and life-threating circumstances should be able and encouraged to come here and seek asylum. The demonstrators like to highlight their Christianity by gathering in front of churches, waving crucifixes and singing Christian Christmas carols. If they truly hold Christian values, I ask myself what happened to their belief in compassion? In addition they like to underline their closeness to Germany by waving flags and wearing caps adorned with ‘Germany’ or the national flag, obviously relics from the World Cup. Yet the World Cup Germany won this year with a team mirroring the diversity of its people, including the sons of immigrants, and some believing in the faith of Islam playing alongside those whose families have lived in Germany for centuries.
It is now important to educate and inform those who cannot or don’t want to see the advantages of migration. The structure of Germany’s population leads to a need of immigrants to guarantee a functioning social market economy. As official figures show, there are currently 4 million Muslims living in Germany, that is about 5% of its total population. A prognosis published by the University of Tübingen forecasted that by 2030 the number will only increase to 7 million. One can hardly speak of an ‘islamisation’ in this regard.
Politics cannot turn a blind eye to this. It needs to act now to prevent further growth of the movement that already faces rejection among many throughout all levels of society as I was pleased to witness during a demonstration in Berlin. Berlin’s appearance is characterised by a great number of immigrants including Muslim inhabitants and all coexist in harmony with a clear notion of respect, living and working together. On the contrary in Dresden, where the movement has more supporters than opponents, for example only 8.2% have a migratory background, the resulting situation is one where the presence and knowledge about migrants, refugees and Islam is absent during everyday life.
I was relieved to see that in many other cities there has been an influx of support for demonstrations against Pegida, and the governments of cities such as Cologne or Berlin switching off the lights of monuments and sights to show their support of movements against the xenophobic demonstrators. I was relieved to see thousands preventing marches of people who create this misconceived image of German society. Thousands of people across the country are voicing their support to the people who have been living here whether for a few months or many years, but who are irrevocably a part of Germany, a colourful, open-minded, tolerant country. The times when a minority marches down the streets, claiming to be a majority and looking for scapegoats amongst a minority have rightly been over for a long time.
Photo Credit: Jacky Westermann
