Rise of Far Right in Europe:

Link with Terrorism and Refugee Influx

Ziauddin Choudhury

Election of a far right conservative political leader Sebastian Kurz as Chancellor of Austria recently may
have been unexpected, but it is not surprising given the wave of political support that far right leaders
have been receiving in recent years in Europe. A few months before in German elections the popular
Angela Merkels party narrowly survived a tough contest from far right parties in her country. Marine Le
Penn, leader of the far right National Front of France (until recently) had been long posing a threat to
establishment politics in France with her brazen nationalism and attacks against liberal politics she
blamed for the ills in the country. Even in countries like Sweden and Denmark that are known for their
political liberalism and tolerance of diversity far right ideas and political groups seem to be gaining
strength. What one may ask is behind this tectonic shift in European politics?

Over last two years much of Western Europe and UK was stricken by two types of man- made disasters.
One was influx of refugees, mainly from the war ravaged Middle East, and the other was terrorist
attacks perpetrated by adherents to radical Islam. Over a million refugees thronged the major western
capitals fleeing from atrocities in Syria, Iraq, Libya and other Sub-Saharan countries. When countries
affected by the sudden but steady invasion of foreigners such as Germany, France, Sweden, Spain and
Italy were trying to cope with the growing crisis, several capitals were also hit by terrorist attacks of
deadly proportion.

According to a recent report of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) based in
Vienna, there is practically no country in the OSCE that has not been affected by violent extremism. The
report stated that in 2016, terrorist attacks in OSCE participating States (numbering 57 spread in Europe,
North Africa, and North America) caused more than one thousand deaths. They destroyed billions of
Euros worth of property and infrastructure, undermined peoples confidence in government and
institutions, and created fear and suspicion between members of different ethnic and religious
communities.

In parallel the OSCE countries in Western Europe have also been facing invasion by refugees, ironically
from the same countries that have been a major source of terrorism. A record number of 1.3 million
sought asylum in Western Europe by 2016, mostly coming from Syria, Iraq, Libya, and Sub Saharan
Africa. The number continues to grow even after many European countries tried to thwart the flood
gate.

While in one hand refugees from Middle East continue to flood the streets of European capitals,
mayhems continued to happen in these capitals on the other. In Paris 130 people died in a series of
coordinated armed attacks bombing and shooting- in clubs and restaurants in November 2015. The
perpetrators turned out to be descendants of Muslim immigrants from North Africa. Six months later a
truck mowed down 84 people in Bastille Day in Nice, France. In Berlin that year another truck mowed
down a dozen people. In Brussels airport 32 people died in a bomb explosion by terrorists. In
Manchester, London 22 people died in a bomb attack in a concert early in 2017, followed by another
incident of a terrorist driving through a crowd in Westminster, London killing seven people. In summer
this year a van driven by a terrorist through a crowded street killed another dozen people in Barcelona.
This litany of terror incidents does not include scores of other incidents of stabbing, failed bombing, etc.
that occurred over last two years in different major cities of Europe.

Under ordinary circumstances these terror incidents could have been described as law and order
situations created by a disgruntled person or persons. But the singular reason why these incidents are
not referred to as criminal acts of disgruntled or deranged people is because in almost all cases the
perpetrators either identified themselves as combatants fighting for so-called Islamic State (ISIS), or
were later found to have links with some radical Islamic groups.

Rise of far right political forces in Western Europe has not happened in a vacuum. It has happened
because far right political forces that were marginalized in a liberal society started to come to limelight
by attributing terrorist attacks to growing number of immigrants in their countries and the
governments immigration policies. They started to propagate that after years of unchecked migration
Europe is on the verge of elimination in the hands of Muslims and Islam. This propaganda was further
strengthened by the sudden rise of ISIS in Syria, and its ability to mobilize and radicalize youths from a
vast number of countries. According to International Centre of Study of Radicalization and Political from
late 2011 to 10 December 2013 between 3,300 and 11,000 individuals had gone to Syria to fight
against the Assad government. Of these about 1900 were from Western Europe.

The attraction that far right leaders of Europe hold for their supporters is through their rhetoric that
rhymes well with current circumstances. It is unfortunate that in a part of the world which had seen
many horrific incidents of terrorism in the past arising from political unrests (Irish Nationalists, Basque
separatists, Algerian war) with no particular attribution to a religious group, the recent acts of terrorism
are attributed to Islam and Muslims. It is not only because a single entity ISIS- is claiming responsibility,
but also because the perpetrators claim to be adherents to Islam. And this happens more tragically at a
time when the followers of the perpetrators faith are fleeing in drove to seek refuge in the very
countries where they are committing these acts. Is there any wonder that the fringe political parties in
Western Europe will use these to rouse public animosity to immigration and Islam?

A serious consequence of continued acts of terrorism in Europe, USA and elsewhere is the resurgence of
nationalism in many countries forcing mainstream politicians in these countries to gradually lean more
to the right. Although it was not against Islam or Muslims per se, it is believed that Brexit voters in UK
were drawn by anti-immigrant stance of UK Independence Party which supported Brexit. As incidents of
terrorism increased and refugees kept on flooding Europe the far right was further able to stoke
Islamophobia and anti-immigrant rhetoric to gain political support and power.

Far rights political gain in Western countries may be few and far between for now, but if Muslims and
Muslim countries do not have their act together to bring an end to terrorism, the mainstream politics in
many of the western countries may shift to the right more and more. This may not bring an end to
democracy but definitely curtail liberal politics in many countries.