Far-Right Rhetoric Germany’s Very Own Minaret Debate Turns Nasty

This article speaks to the recent debate over the building of minarets on mosques in many countries within the European Union. It is another instance of contention over the perceived “Islamicization” of Europe through the increased visibility of Islam in European cities. In this article (which focuses on a small town in Westphalia) Islam is set up as an invading force from ‘without’, as militant “invasion” rhetoric is used to characterize Islam’s “quest for power” within the world stage. This ‘us vs. them’ dichotomy seems to justify the rampant xenophobia still prevalent within Germany, and even opens the door to suggesting a referendum on minaret building on a European Union-wide scale.