President Joachim Gauck on Thursday condemned a recent rise in "vile" attacks on refugee shelters in Germany and warned that xenophobic attitudes were taking root in the country.
The comments by the head of state underline growing concern about hostility towards immigrants in Germany, which last year saw the emergence of the grassroots anti-Islam group PEGIDA.
Since the beginning of the year, there have been 150 attacks on refugee shelters -- nearly as many as in the whole of 2014.
"We are seeing xenophobic attitudes taking root and that some people aren't even shying away from carrying out attacks," Gauck said in a speech in Berlin.
"I'm referring to what we have recently experienced again with these vile attacks on refugee homes. It's unbearable."
Gauck called on citizens to stand up and defend Germany's democratic and liberal values by welcoming refugees from countries afflicted by war and human rights abuses.
Germany was shocked in 2011 by revelations that a small neo-Nazi cell, the National Socialist Underground (NSU), had murdered nine immigrants and a policewoman, and carried out bombings and bank robberies. Security services and police had failed for a decade to detect the NSU's existence.
Gauck, a former pastor in old Communist East Germany, has little real power as president but his words carry moral weight.
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4 comments:
These attitudes have been there for some years. USA citizens are unwanted tourists in most places..except for your money. When traveling in Europe, do not wear shoes that identify you as an American. Look around you and ask questions. Just ask questions people. E
How is it vile to protect your homeland from foreign invaders? Letting people flood across boarders is not helping the anything. Taking care of people who refuse to deal with problems a home is not the answer. People must take care of themselves. Kick them out.
After world war 2 the world did not hold anyone's hand. The countries that were destroyed in the process were all expected to fix their own problems. The Islamist and Mexican insurgents need to go. Now.
Mothering and Nannying and Nerfing the world is not the answer.
Germany has been having problems with foreign workers for decades. Many from Turkey and other middle eastern countries have been a drain on the society.
Then, when the Berlin wall came down, the West Germans had to work very hard to absorb the very poor East German population.
Now they're overrun with 'refugees' (aren't we all?), and it's crushing their economy.
The Germans are good people, but there's a limit to what they can take.
They've reached the limit. I don't blame them a bit.
Illegals must go !
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