White supremacy thrives on 'existential threats' hype

New Zealand has the reputation of being a carefree country with a high level of public security. But that changed Friday after the Christchurch mass shooting which claimed at least 50 deaths. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called it one of "New Zealand's darkest days."

Like all terrorists, Brenton Tarrant, the suspected gunman who livestreamed his killings of innocent people, obviously wants to raise fear and create polarization. Shortly before the shooting, he posted online a manifesto called "The Great Replacement" that's full of white-supremacist and right-wing extremism.

Some argue that it was best to show unity at this moment rather than wade through his hate speech and create further division.

But besides thoughts and prayers, it is even more urgent now to confront the toxic political and media environment that has nurtured outright Islamophobia and xenophobia.

So far, it seems very likely that the gunman is a loner. But he is not alone in sharing the white identity crisis and fear of being “replaced” or "conquered" by Muslims. And this discourse of "Muslim-as-threat" is prevalent in both Europe and Australia.

People gather to stage a demonstration against the twin terror attacks in New Zealand mosques, Islamophobia, antisemitism and racism in London, on March 16, 2019. /VCG Photo

The 9/11 attack drew the U.S. and its allies including Australia into an endless War on Terror that sent many of their soldiers tofight in Afghanistan and Iraq. It is just so much easier to justify the huge military expenditures and sacrifices when the Muslim world is depicted as a potential threat to people's lives and, most importantly, Western civilization.

To some extent, newspapers, popular cinema and think tanks in the West help to sensationalize this talk of Muslim terror. And the discourse on war has left a dangerous legacy when refugees come to Europe and start to change the demographic outlook.

There is little discussion of peaceful coexistence but fear fanned by opportunistic right-wing politicians and exaggerated claims about illegal immigration by news outlets. Even open policies promoted by Angela Merkel havesuffered a backlash internally as the government has failed to provide sound policies to accommodate the refugees from 2016. It is reported that there were 950 attacks targeted at Muslims and mosques in Germany in 2017 alone.

"Merkel was too confident when she opens her arms to the refugees," said Liu Mingli, deputy director of the Institute of European Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. "Coupled with the increasing unemployment rate and a slowing economy, right-wing extremism finds immigration as the subject to blame."

Far-right supporters march during a rally against the German government's immigration policies and migrants, in Berlin, March 12, 2016. The slogan reads "Merkel must go." /VCG Photo

The process of normalizing racism was accelerated when white supremacists have formal political roles in the West. The 28-year-old gunman was not a fan of Donald Trump's leadership, but supports him as a "symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose."

Hatred unites people just as love does. Even though the Islamic population only accounts for 2.6 percent of Australia's population, far-right groups like "Reclaim Australia" thrive on marching against the building of mosques and the mere presence of Islamic culture. After the attack, Fraser Anning, an Australian senator, even tried to blame immigration that allowed "Muslim fanatics to migrate to New Zealand in the first place."

The fact that he was elected as a senator says a lot about how the anti-Islamic rally has been expanding its territory in Australia.

Too often and for too long, discussions regarding Islamic migrants are one-sided arguments that create a clear White/Muslim division; it's "us" against "them" and only one "survives." On one side there are the serious accusations of people being “racist” not embracing the new culture; on the other, there are indigenous people who just hate to see their neighborhood changing.

It seems to be forgotten that cultural integration is bound to be a process that comes with conflicts, but it has not got to the level of "existential threats." How to deal with the identity issue and solve the cultural conflicts in a moderate way is a huge challenge for those countries facing immigration issues, especially with migrants from the Muslim world. The Christchurch massacre should raise more actions than grief.

（CGTN）