PEGIDA :  Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (Founder, Lutz Bachman – Convicted Burglar)  and NPD : National Democratic Party

AfD : Alternative for Deutschland  (Co-founder , Dr Frauke Petry -the Mogul Chemist )

NPD or National Democratic Party AfD or Alternative for Deutschland (Germany), Dr. Frauke Petry, Doctor in Chemistry, entrepreneur and co-leader/chair of AfD stepped down from her post at the AfD because she wanted the pure “pursuit of Conservative politic” and not for the AfD to be considered “anarchist” which has no realistic chance of Conservative governance in Germany.  Dr. Frauke Petry is best known in Germany for her condemnation and subsequent calls for the ban on “minarets” (spires / focal point found on modern mosques that house the speakers for the “Adhan” (aka the Muslim call to prayer) which occurs five times a day. Four million Muslims (roughtly 5% of the population) live in Germany where the Central Council of Muslims have compared the AfD’s treatment of Muslims to that of Nazis during World War 2, a charge that Dr. Frauke Petry has tried to soften given that the Far Right Conservatives in Germany do not wish to lose political power nor leverage.  Despite this incongruity, Dr Frauke Petry’s views are anti-Muslim , stating that Sharia law and the wearing of “burqa” is also is not compatible with Democratic and Western values and must be included in the ban.[i]

Moreover, the AfD is against all male circumcision in Germany but Dr. Frauke Petry , has stated that nothing should disallow Muslims and Jews from having circumcision in Germany ; Her opinion of some cultural “tolerance” came under fire by Lutz Bachmann , Convicted Burglar and Chairman / Founder of PEGIDA ( Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West ). PEGIDA is known for its Far-Right, Anti-American, Anti-Islam and German Nationalist views. PEGIDA and the AfD are closely aligned in the sense that Kathrin Oertel (Spokeswoman /Treasurer of PEGIDA) has called AfD’s Dr. Frauke Petry for advice in the advent of Lutz Bachmann (Chairman /Founder of PEGIDA) doing things on social media that were embarrassing and politically disadvantageous to the Conservative cause in Germany. More specifically, Dr. Frauke Petry suggested to Kathrin Oertel that PEGIDA Founder and Chairman, Lutz Bachmann step down after impulsively posting facetious photos of himself on Facebook, dressed as Adolf Hitler. Upon stepping down in January 2017, Lutz Bachman stated, “I am an impulsive person…I regret I didn’t resist my impusiveness.” [ii]

Udo Voigt, “Putin is a symbol for us of what is possible”[iii]

[i] Reuters, “German far-right party calls for ban on minarets and burqa“, May 1, 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/01/german-far-right-party-ban-minarets-burqa-alternative-fur-deutschland

[ii] Stephen Brown, Huffington Post, “Lutz Bachmann, Founder Of German Anti-Muslim Movement PEGIDA, Resigns After Posting Hitler Photo”, January 21, 2015, https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/21/lutz-bachmann-pegida-hitler-photo_n_6515542.html

[iii] Alan Feuer, Andrew Higgins, New York Times, “Extremists turn to a leader to protect western values: Vladimir Putin”, December 3, 2016, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/03/world/americas/alt-right-vladimir-putin.html?mcubz=0