Austria: The rise of fascism

Austria: The rise of fascism


Today, the anniversary of Nowotny's death, also coincides with Kristallnacht, the 'night of broken glass' in 1938 when 92 people were murdered and thousands attacked across Germany as stormtroopers set upon Jews in an outpouring of Nazi violence.


Some 70 years on from that infamous pogrom, the world faces a similar financial crisis to the one that precipitated the rise of Hitler and, in chilling echoes of Thirties Europe, support for far-right groups is exploding. Hitler's birthplace has become the focus for neo-Nazis across the world.


And so I have come to Austria to investigate how Fascism and extremism are moving, unchecked, into the forefront of its society.


Last September, Austria's far right gained massive political influence in an election that saw the FPO along with another far right party – Alliance For The Future (BZO) – gain 29 per cent of the vote, the same share as Austria's main party, the Social Democrats. The election stirred up terrifying memories of the rise of the Nazi Party in the Thirties.


And just as the Nazis gained power on the back of extreme nationalism and virulent anti-Semitism, the recent unprecedented gains in Austria were made on a platform of fear about immigration and the perceived threat of Islam. FPO leader Heinz Christian Strache, for example, described women in Islamic dress as 'female ninjas'.


Emboldened by the new power in parliament, neo-Nazi thugs have desecrated Muslim graves. Recently, in Hitler's home town of Braunau, a swastika flag was publicly unveiled.


(..)


'The anti-fascists are the new fascists,' he says. 'We are not allowed to tell the truth about how foreigners are a threat.'


The truth, according to Roland, is that Muslims, immigrants and America are destroying his way of life.


'We are German-Austrians. We want a community here based on German nationalism,' he adds. 'We must fight to save our heritage and culture.'


(..)


'Prost!' the man sitting to my right toasts loudly. His name is Christian. He is no neo-Nazi thug, but instead a psychology student. His white peaked cap signifies that he is a member of a Burschenschaften group called Gothia.


Most of the men at this table are Gothia, including the man sitting opposite who ordered the beer. He glares at me again. He has long scars on both sides of his face that run from his cheekbones down to the edges of his mouth, and when he sucks on his cigarette he reminds me of the Joker from Batman. Christian has a dozen wounds from fencing, including five on his left cheek.


'It is a badge of honour to duel,' he says proudly, before explaining that this is an annual event and that one of tonight's speeches will be on the 'threat of Islam to Europe'.


Suddenly, everyone at our table stands amazed as FPO leader Heinz Christian Strache enters.


He is wearing a royal blue hat – signifying his membership of the Vandalia Burschenschaften – and after shaking hands with each of us he sits at the far end of the table. Shortly afterwards I'm asked to leave.


Although the Burschenschaften claims to be politically neutral, FPO flyers had been placed in front of each guest and it was clear this event was a political rally in support of the FPO – an event that would culminate with these Austrians, including a leading politician, singing the German national anthem.


(..)


The ideas and racial hatred that I have heard over my two weeks in Austria are just as threatening and just as sickening as any I have ever heard. And they are a lot more sinister because they are spoken with the veneer of respectability.


The open defiance of these men honouring their Nazi 'war hero', and the support they are gaining in these troubled economic times, should be setting off alarm bells in Europe and the rest of the world.


Source: Daily Mail (English), h/t Atlas Shrugs

See also: Austria: Anti-Muslim graffiti at Holocaust memorial

No comments: