PEGIDA and the True Meaning of Irony

Patriotische Europaeer Gegen die Islamisierung des Abendlandes which stands for Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West or PEGIDA is a German organization.

Its purpose is clearly stated in its name. They are against Muslims because they say that they cannot be assimilated.

In the last two years, it has been organizing large anti-Muslim rallies which were joined by thousands of Germans.

Recently, the PEGIDA leadership became incensed by an advertising campaign.

Kinder, a famous German chocolate bar manufacturer, known for the Aryan kid pictures on its packaging, committed a horrible sin.

This is the traditional package.

This is the recent package.

Did you notice the problem? 

PEGIDA folks were outraged. Will they stop at nothing, they hollered. Tweets and social media postings blasted the company for pandering to Islamists and immigrants.

It turns out that the pictures were childhood photos of members of the German national soccer team. The one above is Ilkay Gundogan, who plays for Borussia Dortmund and the one below is Jerome Boateng who plays for Bayern Munich.

In other words, these are exactly the kind of kids that PEGIDA is dead set against allowing into Germany. And now they are part of an elite squad. And when they score during the World Cup, Germans will have to cheer them on despite their less-than-Aryan identity.

This is very much like the point Banksy was making with Steve Jobs whose father was a Syrian immigrant.

All of this is ironic enough. 

But do you know why I used the expression "true meaning of irony" in the heading?

PEGIDA has a "19-point manifesto [that] says the movement opposes extremism and calls for protection of Germany's Judeo-Christian culture."

Yes, Judeo-Christian culture. 

Judeo.

You know, the people who needed to be exterminated because they could not be assimilated.